Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Fred Zilm: World War 1

• Fred Zilm was 28 years old when he decided to embark on the war.
• His unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A19 Afric.
• His rank from the Nominal Roll was a Corporal.  
• His war service was on the Western Front.
• His unit name was 43rd Battalion, Machine Gun Section and his unit from the Nominal Roll was the 43rd Battalion.

Fred was the son of Ferdinand ZILM & Sophia ISAACSON and was born on the 5th of March 1888 in South Hummocks, SA.

His parents were married on the 30th of September 1881 at the residence of John Anderson, South Hummocks, SA.

His father was the son of Johann Christian ZILM & Christine Caroline Louise KRUGER and was born on the 23rd of February 1859 in Nairn, Greenock, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Richard ISAACSON & Eliza DENINGTON and was born on the 7th of August 1861 in Undalya, SA.

Fred was the third child born into the family of 8 children.

His father was a farmer and Fred grew up at Lochiel and Maitland.

After his schooling Fred became a labourer and he later served 3 months with SA Militia at Wallaroo until it was disbanded.

At the age of 28, Fred enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 3rd of February 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 759 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He was then transferred to the newly raised 43rd Battalion, Machine Gun Section in Morphettville Camp. He was only with the Machine Gun Section for two days and was then transferred to the 43rd Battalion.

Fred embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 9th June 1916.
He served in France before embarking from England on board HT Nestor on the 20th of May 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 29th of June.

Fred was discharged, from the AIF on the 14th of August 1919 and on the 18th of March 1920 he had secure a Soldier Settlement Block in Ardrossan (Section 35N 76, Hundred of Cunningham) and took up farming

Fred married Elizabeth GREENSLADE on the 12th of November 1921 in Malvern, SA.
Elizabeth was the daughter of William George GREENSLADE & Margaret BOWEY and was born on the 4th of July 1887 in Maitland, SA.
She was also the sister of Maggie, Williams’s wife.

They welcomed their first child; Joyce Elaine, on the 20th of August 1922.
Desmond was born on the 12th of August 1929.

Betty May was born on the 19th of May 1931, but sadly she died 7 days later and they buried her in the Ardrossan Cemetery; Plot 262.

Joyce then died on the 8th of February 1935 and they buried her in the Ardrossan Cemetery; Plot 262, with her little sister.
In 1937 Fred purchased the Crown Lease of section 373 & 374, Hundred of Cunningham, containing 836 acres.

In 1961 he transferred Section 374 to Desmond.

Fred died on the 3rd of February 1964 in Ardrossan and was buried in the Ardrossan Cemetery; Plot 183.

His grave is only marked by a small council marker.

Elizabeth died on the 12th of December 1964 and was buried in the Ardrossan Cemetery; Plot 1843, next to Fred.

Military

At the age of 28, Fred enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 3rd of February 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 759 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his mother, of Maitland, SA as his next of kin.

On the 1st of March he was transferred to D Company, 1st Depot Battalion and six days later he was transferred to the newly raised 43rd Battalion, Machine Gun Section in Morphettville Camp. He was only with the Machine Gun Section for two days and was then transferred to the 43rd Battalion.

The Battalion consisted of men who had but recently enlisted, and were practically raw recruits, most of whom had joined up in January and February.

Early in April musketry was commenced throughout the Battalion with each section forming a separate squad and undergoing ten days progressive instruction in the art of handling the rifle, the course being completed by the firing of an application and grouping practice on the miniature range in the dry bed of the Sturt River.
An open range was prepared in the sand hills between Glenelg and Henley, where for two days portions of the Battalion were engaged with the service rifle; but the working of these targets proved so slow and tedious that arrangements were made to secure the use of the butts at Port Adelaide, special trains conveying the troops to and from this place. Two complete days firing was given to each company, during which grouping, application, snap shooting, and rapid practices at 100, 200, and 300 yards were completed.
Fred gained four days leave, known as "long leave," on the 19th and this embraced the Easter Holidays, this being the last furlough granted prior to the Battalion's departure from Australia. The free weekends still being maintained and to those living within thirty miles of Adelaide, when desired, was extended to Monday morning.

The Battalion attended a number of functions and ceremonies, chief among which were the presentation of colours at Glenelg, the Military Tattoo on the Jubilee Oval, and the farewell dinner provided in the Exhibition Building by the Cheer-up Society; while occasional trips to the theatre were arranged, special trains usually being provided for the conveyance of the Unit to and from Morphettville. A certain amount of amusement was supplied within the camp on several occasions by concert parties.

During the whole period of training, equipment and clothing were gradually issued and they were fitted out for departure, signing for every article received and having numerous inspections to ascertain what shortages existed. The health of the men also received continuous attention, vaccination and two inoculations being administered in the early days, while dental inspections and subsequent treatment rectified any defects of the mouth.

The first week of June was spent in final preparations to embark on the 9th of June, the quartermasters and clerical departments being the most busily engaged. A final pay was drawn and as much leave as possible granted and by the 8th all preparations for embarkation had been completed, and the transport section had left for the Outer Harbour.

Dawn of June 9th was breaking behind the Mount Lofty Ranges when reveille sounded, rousing the whole camp to the activities of final preparations for departure, including the handing in of camp equipment and stores.

At 9.40 a.m. the first train, bearing Headquarters and A and B Companies, left Morphettville Station followed half-an-hour later by a second train with the remainder of the Battalion.
On reaching Port Adelaide the train proceeded by the old route down St. Vincent Street, where a large and enthusiastic crowd assembled to bid farewell to the unit. An hour later the Outer Harbour was reached and there followed a rapid embarkation on board their transport, HMAT A19 Afric.

Fred embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric at 2pm on the 9th of June 1916 and Fred now realised that this was the commencement of the long, long trail, the end of which none could foretell.

The journey through The Bight was cold and rough, causing sickness to 70 per cent of the men. Land was first sighted at daybreak of the 13th of June and after passing through King George Sound they anchored in Albany Harbour at 11.30 am, when coaling immediately commenced.
The next day the boat drew alongside the wharf, and all were allowed ashore for a few hours.
At noon the same day the journey was resumed and soon the shores of Fred’s homeland receded from view.
That night it was learnt that the next port of call would be Colombo. As the result of a long period of calm weather that followed the departure from Albany, it was possible to conduct training, consisting of musketry, physical exercises, bayonet fighting, and boat drill, limited in extent by the small area of deck space available.

As the tropics were approached, permission to sleep on deck was granted, and a large majority, including Fred availed themselves of the privilege. By day a minimum amount of clothing was worn, the heavier uniform being abandoned for the lighter and more comfortable suit of dungarees.
Fred was promoted to Driver whilst on board the ship.

Early on the morning of June 26th the island of Ceylon was sighted and by 10 a.m. the transport anchored in the harbour of Colombo. Coal barges were soon drawn along side the boat and coaling operations, conducted by the natives, commenced.
That afternoon they were taken ashore on lighters and marched to the military barracks in Colombo. There a wet canteen was placed at the disposal of the troops and native vendors of views, fruit, etc., offered their goods. As this was the first opportunity for some weeks of purchasing articles from other than the ship's canteen a brisk business resulted.

The following day the journey resumed at 3.45 p.m.
The voyage to Suez differed very little from the previous fortnight, except that during the four days in the Red Sea extreme heat was experienced, causing exhaustion to several of the stokers, whose work was undertaken for two days by volunteers from the troops.
By noon of July 11th Suez was reached and all preparations for disembarkation were completed.

Orders were, however, received from the military authorities that the journey was to be continued through the Mediterranean and at 4 pm an entrance was made into the Canal, the interesting surroundings of which attracted attention for sixteen hours. Along the bank were encamped Australian and English troops, who formed a portion of the Canal Garrison. An opportunity to converse with some of these was afforded by the boat being delayed for an hour at Ismalia.
By 8.30 am on the 12th the Canal was cleared and entry made into Port Said, where a transport conveying English troops southward was passed. Natives were again employed in coaling, which caused much inconvenience to those on board, as no leave ashore was granted. Numerous hawkers in small dinghies visited the boat, but not being allowed on deck were obliged to transact their sales by means of rope and basket.
Here an A 4.7 naval gun was mounted aft and manned by Royal Navy gunners and on departure at 2pm on the 13th, H.M. destroyer "Telmar," which had seen service with the Australians on Gallipoli, acted as their escort. These protective measures against submarines were augmented by the pre cautions of constant changes of course, screening of lights, and increase of sentries, whose duty was the outlook for enemy craft.

On passing Malta, the "Telmar" was relieved by a larger destroyer, but before departing semaphored "Australians, good-bye and good luck," on receipt of which cheers were interchanged between transport and escort. Daily routine on board continued until Marseilles was approached on the evening of July 19th, when at 10 pm the pilot was taken aboard, but the harbour was not entered until eight o'clock the next morning. This ended a six weeks successful journey on the "Afric".

At 3 pm on July 20th they disembarked and moved to Arran-Point Station, where they immediately entrained and at 5.35 pm left for Havre.
The journey through Southern France was most interesting, new types of villages, cultivation, and railway organisation being introduced. The scenery, especially that of the Rhone Valley, was superb, and the bright mid summer day showed the surroundings at their best.

A halt was made near Avignon, where hot tea and rations were issued, and on resumption of the journey the troops quickly settled down for the night. At 8 am on the 21st the train passed through Lyons, and at 3.45 pm Dijon was reached, and the French Red Cross workers served tea and cake to the Battalion.
Breakfast next morning was partaken of thirteen miles from Paris, Juvisy, from which, after a halt of two hours, the journey continued through Versailles, along the Seine Valley to Nantes, where a break was made for another meal, thence to Rouen and Havre.
Here the Battalion detrained and marched to a Rest Camp, where most of the men spent a cold night on cobbles. The following afternoon embarkation for England took place, and at dusk the Channel transport commenced its six-hour journey, reaching Southampton at daybreak and they disembarked at 7.30 am.

After two hours waiting on the wharf they were entrained for Amesbury Station on Salisbury Plain, where the Battalion detrained. An hour later Lark Hill was reached and the whole afternoon devoted to settling down in No.12 Camp. This was the training area for the 43rd Battalion prior to its departure for the front.
The first few days were spent in settling down in this new camp, which was one of about fifty of similar design located at Lark Hill, most of which were so fitted as to accommodate a complete battalion.

They spent the next few months here in training and towards the end of November, when they had been fully equipped for overseas, a divisional march, covering a distance of eighteen miles, was accomplished, the full issue of clothing and equipment, less blankets, being carried, the day proving most strenuous on account of the oppressive heat.

During the first three weeks of November final preparations and issue of equipment for the trip overseas were completed, and the dates of departure of the Division were expected to cover the last week of November 1916, the 43rd Battalion eventually sailing on the 25th, prior to which the camp was thoroughly cleaned and the bulk of stores returned.

The early morning of November 25th was a repetition of June 9th. For the purpose of the move the Battalion was divided into three parties, leaving Lark Hill Camp in time to entrain at Amesbury Station by 7.15am. The weight of equipment carried by each man was far in excess of that borne on any previous march, as in addition to full marching order, two blankets, 150 rounds of ammunition, with steel and gas helmets, made a burden in all cases exceeding 80 lb.
At dusk the trip across the Channel commenced and a heavy sea was experienced, causing sea sickness to many on board, while a bleak wind with frequent showers of hail made the entry into the harbour at Le Havre and the period of waiting intensely cold.

Disembarkation and unloading commenced at 11am and during the afternoon there followed the memorable route march to No.1 Rest Camp, situated on a hill about three miles from the wharf. Here they remained for the night, leaving at 6.30am next morning for the railway yards, where a troop train, consisting chiefly of cattle trucks, was waiting, and at 11.30am they left for Bailleul.
The journey, via Rouen, Abbeville, Boulogne, Calais, and St. Omer, occupied thirty hours, halts being made en route for the issue of rations and hot drinks.
Detraining was completed before dark, but by the time the unit moved from the station night had set in. For the march to billets, packs and blankets were carried by motor lorry. Locating these billets caused great difficulty, owing to the lack of information and absence of guides, and it was not until after 10 pm that they were settled for the night.

On December 23rd, in a high wind and through heavy rain, a march to new billets in Armentieres was carried out. Christmas Day 1916 was celebrated in the morning with working parties to the line and in the evening by a dinner, extra supplies being obtained through Comforts and Regimental Funds.

They spent February in and out of the front line and whilst in billets the raiding school continued training in bayonet fighting, physical exercises, patrolling, study of aeroplane photographs and practice of raiding formations on dummy trenches.

In April they were located at Ploegsteert Wood and on the 1st of May they left Armentieres and joined the remainder of the Brigade at Les Trois Tilleuls, proceeding through Steenwerck and Vieux Berquin to Petit See Bois. The following day they moved through Pradelles, Borre, and Hazebrouck to billets at Ebblinghem.

After 2 weeks here they commenced their journey back to Armentiers and on the 28th of May Fred was promoted to Lance Corporal.
By the 7th of June had moved to Messines and took part in the Battle.
Throughout the whole time in this area enemy aircraft proved exceptionally active, especially in the early morning, when low-flying planes engaged trenches and movement with machine gun fire.
The famous Red Circus, commanded by Baron von Richthoven, was stationed in the area and was a constant source of worry to both infantry and artillery.

As casualties were caused daily, chiefly from shell fire, and the strain of sitting under continuous bombardments told on the nerves of everybody, the relief by the 41st Battalion on July 5th and the return to the somewhat quieter support area on the banks of the Douve, was truly welcome.

They then moved into the Warneton area and their objective was Windmill Post which over looked the low ground east of Messines and consisted of the remains of an old French mill, surrounded by tall trees and hedges, situated on Warneton-Gapaard Road.

Having completed their task after many weeks, they was relieved by the 41st Battalion and they moved back by small parties to Douve Camp, at which they arrived in an utterly exhausted condition, were given a hot meal, and, throwing aside their mud-soaked clothing, "turned in" for a well-earned rest.

They remained here resting and training until the 2nd of October when they entrained for Ypres for the offensive.

On the 26th of November, the anniversary of the Brigade's arrival in France, a sports meeting was held near their camp (Canteen Corner), the 11th Machine Gun Company combining with the Battalion for the day. In the evening the Unit Pierrot Troupe provided an entertainment in the Recreation Hut, while a Brigade officers' dinner was arranged for 6.30 at De Seule.
Towards the end of the month cross-country runs were introduced and recreation of some form became compulsory and was conducted as a parade. The Battalion Pierrots gave frequent concerts, which, together with an officer’s party and visiting troupes, assisted in providing entertainments for the long evenings.

On the 11th of December voting was conducted throughout the Battalion on the question of Conscription with everyone being given an opportunity of exercising his franchise.
Owing to the uncertainty of future movements, the Battalion's Christmas dinner was held during the evening of the 22nd of December and being unable to secure a room sufficiently large to accommodate all, this meal was served in the various billets. It was supplied out of proceeds from the 43rd Trench Comforts Fund in Adelaide and consisted chiefly of turkey, vegetables and plum pudding.

The following day they moved into the front line again and on the 18th of January 1918 Fred was granted two weeks leave to England and on his return his Battalion were located at Rossignol Camp.
By March they had arrived in the Somme and were involved in the defence of Amiens in April in the mud, rain and bleak wind.
They were then moved to Villers-Brettoneaux and by the end of June they had moved to Hill 86 and were then relieved on the 27th, moving to the Allonville area the next day to consolidate for the Battle of Hamel.

As the Brigade had not previously worked with tanks, practices were given in advancing with them at their training ground near Vaux en Amenois, where they gained an insight into their tactics and methods of advance.
They then moved into the Hamel area and at two minutes past three on the morning of the 4th of July, light harassing fire was opened, with the object of assisting the aircraft in drowning the noise of approaching tanks, and eight minutes later an intense barrage fire opened, under cover of which the attack commenced.
In two hours, all objectives were obtained and 1,400 German prisoners were captured, as well as many weapons.

In August and September they helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line and on the 3rd of October 1918 they withdrew to an area south-east of Aizecourt Le Haut, where bivouacs were erected and maintained for 2 days and then a march was made to Peronne.
They entrained for the back areas of Airaines where billets had been allotted in the village of Metigny.

This was the commencement of the long, hoped-for, rest in back areas and no one could say that it was not well earned. Since moving from Selles the Battalion had never been away from shell-fire and apart from operating in 11 attacks they had spent 40 days in the front line, 42 in support, and 109 in reserve, during which time its strength, in spite of reinforcements from base, had decreased from 42 officers and 855 other ranks to 37 officers and 420 other ranks.

As their strength and spirit gradually recovered, military training was correspondingly increased, for it had to be realised that at any time the Battalion might be called to the forward areas and that efficiency must therefore be maintained, although the drill and parade ground exercises had become very irksome after so long a period in the battle zone.

The village of Metigny was a small and dirty place, wherein a very poor type of billets was obtainable, so that on October 21st after the dissolution of the 42nd Battalion, its village, Vergies, was taken over by the 43rd, providing far more suitable accommodation and possessing environments far superior to those of Metigny.

It was while at this new village that the Armistice was signed on the 11th of November 1918, the Battalion being engaged in firing on the open range on the eventful day, but received no definite information of the cessation of hostilities until the arrival of the daily papers the following day and a holiday being given next day to celebrate the occasion.

From then onwards the hours of training were diminished and combined with the educational scheme that had been instituted for the purpose of preparing the soldiers for their civil occupations, these classes growing until they formed the chief work of the Battalion, embracing practically all branches of trades and professions, either within the unit, at Corps Schools in France, or private enterprises in England.

They then moved onto Ramburelles, where quarters were to be occupied until demobilisation, extensive improvements being carried out to permit of the greatest possible comfort during the tedious months of waiting for return to Australia.
On the arrival at Ramburelles the inhabitants exhibited a general hostile attitude towards the Battalion and were unwilling to assist in any way towards the comfort of the men.

After settling down in new quarters, arrangements were made for the Christmas dinner 1918 that was to be held in the marquee erected on the village reserve, the meal consisting of turkey, ham, vegetables, plum pudding, wine and beer, being served on the afternoon of the 25th, officers and sergeants acting as waiters.
As on the previous festive occasion, the expense of the dinner was borne by proceeds of the labours of the 43rd Trench Comforts Society of South Australia.

On the 6th of January 1919 Fred gained 2 weeks leave and was promoted to Corporal, before returning to his Battalion.

In order to maintain health, discipline and fitness, a limited amount of drill was still undertaken, while recreation formed a very large portion of the daily routine, cross-country runs, football, or walking matches taking place each day when weather permitted.
For the purpose of occupying the long winter evenings, indoor games, cards, draughts, and chess were run on organised lines, lectures and discussions were arranged, concert parties and pierrot troupes procured when available, while the addition of warm Nissen huts and fires in billets enabled a certain amount of comfort to be secured during the cold spells of weather, when the ground for days was frozen hard.

Fred embarked for England on the 7th of April and was allocated to Group 3 whilst awaiting embarkation home to Australia.

Fred embarked from England on board HT Nestor on the 20th of May 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 29th of June.

Fred was discharged, from the AIF on the 14th of August 1919 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.