DATE, Joseph Baden Powell
| Service Number: | 3047 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 August 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 44th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia, 1900 |
| Home Town: | Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Storeman |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 4 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery Plot I, Row G, Grave No. 5 SO DEARLY LOVED AND SO SADLY MISSED BY HIS LOVING MOTHER, G. DATE |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Boulder Roll of Honor, Boulder Roll of Honour Board, Fremantle 849 Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Aug 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3047, 44th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 1917: | Involvement Private, 3047, 44th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jan 1917: | Embarked Private, 3047, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Fremantle |
Help us honour Joseph Baden Powell Date's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Joseph Date was born in St Arnaud Victoria during 1900. He was only 16 years of age when he enlisted in Fremantle, Western Australia and only 17 years of age when he died. He spent his childhood on the Kalgoorlie goldfields. His parents were John Samuel and Grace Date. The father had passed away from miner’s complaint or tuberculosis in Kalgoorlie during 1911. Grace, the mother of 12 children, was living in Fremantle, Western Australia at the time of Joseph’s death.
He died of shrapnel wounds to the abdomen in a dressing station in Ypres.
Biography contributed by Geoff Tilley
Joseph Baden Powel Date was born in St Arnaud Victoria in June 1900 to John Samuel and Grace Elizabeth Date nee Martin. He was one of eight sisters and five brothers, which two of the siblings died at birth.
It is unknown when the family moved to Western Australia, but his father was working as a miner in Boulder before his death from tuberculosis in 1911. Joseph’s mother was living in Fremantle with twelve children at the time.
Joseph was educated at Fremantle State School and on leaving school, worked as a storeman, he served in the junior and senior cadets for four years.
At the age of sixteen, Joseph enlisted into the AIF in August 1916 at Fremantle, recording his age as eighteen. He was assigned to 28th Battalion but later posted to the 44th Battalion 6th reinforcements.
Joseph was set to embark for overseas when his mother wrote to the military authorities advising them not to send him due his age of being only sixteen years.
She later wrote to the military authorities giving her consent for Joseph to embark overseas, which he did with 44th Battalion, now attached to the 7th reinforcements from Fremantle in January 1917, arriving in England in March 1917.
Joseph conducted further training in England, also spending time in hospital due to illnesses before he proceeded overseas to France in August 1917. He was taken on strength with 44th Battalion in time for the Third Battle of Ypres during September and October 1917.
The 44th Battalion main attack was made on the 4th October 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge. During this attack Joseph was severely injured receiving wounds to his arms and abdomen. He was taken to the 2nd ANZAC Corps Medical Dressing Station. It was here that Joseph died from his wounds received in battle.
Private Joseph Baden Powell Date service number 3047 of 44th Battalion died of his wounds at Passchendaele Belgium on the 4th October 1917. He was seventeen years of age.
He is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium and is remembered with honour.
His mother wrote.
In fond and loving memory of my dear
Son, Joseph Baden Powell Date died of Wounds October 4th, 1917.
And we who love him sadly miss him.
As it dawns another year.
In the lonely hours thinking
Thoughts of you very dear.
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