TOWNER, Frederick George
| Service Number: | 5542 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 1st Divisional Ammunition Column |
| Born: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 20 September 1894 |
| Home Town: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | District School Gurwood St., Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | G.S.W. Chest, Empyema & recurrent secondary Haemorrhage, Ward B 1 2, 1st Southern General Hospital (Stourbridge Section), Birmingham, England , 19 September 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Stourbridge Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Wagga Wagga Cenotaph, Wagga Wagga Methodist Church Roll of Honour, Wagga Wagga Victory Memorial Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Oct 1915: | Involvement Gunner, 5542, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 1915: | Embarked Gunner, 5542, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne | |
| 19 Sep 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 5542, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5542 awm_unit: Y1A Australian Medium Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-09-19 |
Help us honour Frederick George Towner's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Frederick George Towner was born on 20th September, 1894 at Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW to parents Stephen Joseph & Elizabeth Jane Towner (nee Cox).
Elizabeth Jane Towner, mother of Frederick George Towner, died on 24th February, 1896 at Wagga Wagga, NSW.
His father - Stephen Joseph Towner married Mary Elizabeth (Caroline) Ferrario on 2nd June, 1906 in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
On 20th July, 1915 Frederick George Towner enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) at Liverpool, Sydney, NSW as a 22 year old, single, Labourer.
He was posted to 11th Reinforcements of D.A.C. (Divisional Ammunition Column) as Gunner on 20th July, 1915 for recruit training.
Gunner Frederick George Towner, Service number 5542, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Nestor (A71) on 11th October, 1915 with the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, 11th Reinforcements. He was taken on strength of Headquarters 1st D.A.C. (Divisional Ammunition Column) in Cairo from Reinforcements on 12th November, 1915 & was posted to No. 1 Section.
On 9th March, 1916 Gunner Towner was transferred to Divisional Ammunition Dump & was taken on strength of 21st Howitzer Brigade on 13th March, 1916 at Tel el Kebir.
He proceeded from Alexandria on 25th March, 1916 to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 1st April, 1916. Gunner Towner was transferred to Trench Mortar Battery on 16th April, 1916. He was taken on strength of Y1A Medium T. M. Battery in France on the same day.
Gunner Frederick George Towner was wounded in action on 10th August, 1917. He was admitted to 55th Field Ambulance on 10th August, 1917 with G.S.W. (gunshot wounds) to Chest, neck & abdomen. Gunner Towner was transferred to 17th Casualty Clearing Station on 10th August, 1917 then transferred & admitted to 53rd General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 24th August, 1917 with G.S.W. Chest (penetrating). He was invalided to England on Hospital Ship St. Andrew on 1st September, 1917.
On 1st September, 1917 Gunner Towner was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England with “G.S.W. (Shrapnel) penetrating chest cavity left side over cardiac region with wound of heart and left lung.” He was reported to be seriously ill on 8th September, 1917. The Hospital Admissions form recorded “Operation 12.9.17 Exploration of wound and front of chest. Recurrent Haemorrhage.”
Gunner Frederick George Towner died at 11.30 pm on 19th September, 1917 at Ward B 1 2, 1st Southern General Hospital (Stourbridge Section), Birmingham, England from wounds received in action in France - G.S.W. Chest, Empyema & recurrent secondary Haemorrhage.
He was buried in Stourbridge Cemetery, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England where 12 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are laid to rest.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/stourbridge.html
Click images to start slideshow.