Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lieut. Noble was a Goulburn native, and was given Goulburn as one of his names in honour of his native city.

His father noted on his roll of honour form that “Frank Noble enlisted in March 1915; sailed from Australia, June 1915, as a Corporal. He landed at Gallipoli, August 1915, as a Sergeant. Wounded, August 1916, at Pozieres, France; gained his commission at Military School, Tidworth, England, in August 1917. Sailed for France and the front in April 1918; killed in action 31 August 1918.”

His battalion commander wrote to his family, “Lieut. Francis John Goulburn Noble, was killed by a stray machine gun bullet at about 5 a.m. on the morning of the 31st August last, off Clery, and during the attack on Mont St. Quentin. His body was brought from the line and buried in a military cemetery on the banks of the Somme.

Your brother's work with the unit was of the highest order. He had endeared himself to all ranks, and his loss will be keenly felt by the unit. All officers and men of the battalion join with me in offering the deepest sympathy in the loss of so fine a brother and soldier. -Yours faithfully. J. H. McDonald, Commander 20th Battalion AIF.”

He had a brother who also served, 3366 Pte Richard Lyle Noble, 6th Light Horse, who died of tuberculosis in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, 16 August 1927.

Francis John Goulburn NOBLE was born on 8th February 1888 at Goulburn. He began working for the NSW Government Railways as an apprentice clerk in the Traffic Branch at Goulburn from 19tth October 1903. The next year he relocated to Petersham and in 1906 became a junior clerk in the Sydney Booking Office. He remained with this designation until 1st July 1911 when he became an [adult] clerk.
On 15th February 1912 he moved from the Traffic Branch to the Chief Accountant’s Branch, and in 1914 his job was described as ‘Cash Receiving Clerk’. It was from this position that he enlisted with the ‘A I Forces’ on 21st March 1915. He enlisted at Liverpool the same a day as he was granted leave by the Railways. He was not married, and though his father was still alive, he nominated his brother William Stephen living in Drummoyne as his next of kin. 
He was allotted to the 20th Battalion as a Private. He was given the Service Number 956 and embarked HMAT ‘Berrima’ at Sydney on 26th June 1915, already promoted to Corporal on 31st May 1915, and further promoted to Sergeant during the voyage on 14th July. He travelled more or less directly to Gallipoli, with only a short time in Egypt. He was reported injured with a scalded foot there on 27th August and this caused his evacuation to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos. He wnt to Alexandria in January 1916 with the general evacuation.
After the Australian divisions had re-grouped in Egypt, Noble embarked HMT ‘Mingoma’ at Alexandria on 18th  March and passed through Marseilles on 25th March to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was wounded in action, with a gunshot to his left foot at Pozières in July and this resulted in his evacuation to England for treatment at a series of hospitals, and then a period of furlough.
He remained in England for the whole of 1917. He was promoted to Company Sergeant Major in the 61st Battalion at Wareham from 12th June, and 2nd Lieutenant in the 18th Battalion from 15th September. At this time, he was at the Overseas Training Brigade at Perham Downs. Sickness in the from of myocarditis intervened and later orchitis such that he spent the next months in hospital, including 73 days at Bulford. It was not until April 1918 that he proceeded overseas to France. He was taken on the strength of the 20th Battalion on 6th May 1918. Noble was promoted to Lieutenant on 16th July.

He was killed in action on 31st August. Pte Percy Morris (2940) reported:
‘Lieut. Noble was sniped through the head as we went over the top at Mont St. Quentin. He was buried practically where he fell with 14 of our lads who were killed that day. A fine cross was put over their graves. Lieut. Noble was a schoolmaster from Marrickville, New South wales. I was an eye-witness. Death was instantaneous. The ground was held.’
There are several reports, and variations in the details given.
Contemporary records show that he was buried at Faurillers British Cemetery, four miles West North West of Péronne. The current Australian War Memorial listing shows Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Péronne, France. Noble left his estate to his father, his brother and his sisters, O Cinderella Noble and Jane Lane Kitcher.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.