42298
FRASER, George William
| Service Number: | 6865 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 March 1916, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Snowtown South Australia, Australia, 1895 |
| Home Town: | Riverton, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | 30 January 1956, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Rhynie Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Lochiel District Honour Roll, Riverton Holy Trinity Anglican Church Honour Roll WW1, Riverton Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6865, 10th Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 6865, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 6865, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 2 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 6865, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, SW leg (amputated) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Biography on George William Fraser:
George William Fraser among many other soldiers left his family to fight for his country in WW1. His story begins in a small town called Snowtown in approximately 1895. At a young age he moved to Riverton, where he met his wife. Riverton was very simple and quiet. They stayed there for the rest of his life. He worked as a labourer.
George enlisted on 25 March 1916. On 20 April 1916 George left to a training camp in Australia to prepare himself for war. He stayed there until the 7th of November 1916 when he left Australia onboard the HAMT A19 Africa. He did not go to Egypt to do training but went straight to England and then to France. Up until the 31 January 1917 he trained and prepared for the fight ahead. On that date he was diagnosed with the mumps. This was a common illness during the war. He was transferred to a hospital in London after having further issues with is lungs due to the mumps. He stayed there until he was recovered. Then on 19 April 1917 he proceeded overseas to his battalion.
For the next few months, he was surviving. He hadn’t been injured and hadn’t gotten sick again. Then in June 1917 he got sick with tonsillitis.
On 2 October, near Ypres, George was badly wounded in the leg. This causes his leg to be amputated in hospital. He would never again be fit for active service. While he was recovering in hospital his wife got a letter explaining what had happened. She then sent one back. She was asking if he would be returning and when he comes back would he be able to work.
George went back to Australia on the 8th of April 1918. He died at the age 60 due to natural causes on the 30th January 1956. He was buried at the Rhynie Cemetery, South Australia.
His hard work, bravery and commitment was acknowledged after he returned, he received two service medals: the British war medal and victory medal.
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