Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank Richard George Sansom was born on 9th June 1892 at Southend-on-Sea, Middlesex, UK, the only son of R J and Eliza Sansom.  He had a younger sister Lillian born in 1897.  At some point after completing his education he made his way to Australia and worked as a labourer. 

When WW1 broke out he was one of the first to enlist on 26th August 1914 at Helena Vale Western Australia, aged 23.  His service number was 211, his rank Driver and he was assigned to the 3rd Field Ambulance (3FA) C Section.  He’s described as being 5ft 5ins tall, dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair.  After completing his training at Blackboy Hill Camp, he and the rest of C Section, including the famous John (Jack) Simpson, embarked on HMAT Medic as part of the 1st Convoy and sailed from Fremantle on 2nd November 1914.  He disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, on 12th December 1914 and proceeded to Mena Camp at Cairo. 

The Unit moved to the Kasr-el-nil Barracks in Cairo in late February 1915 and embarked from Alexandria on 3rd March on HMT Malda bound for the Dardanelles.  The ship anchored in Mudros Bay off Lemnos Island on 6th March and remained there for a month.  In early April the Unit transhipped from HMT Malda to HMAT Suffolk and then later on to HMAT Devanha.  On 24th April 1915, in preparation for the landings at Gallipoli, the Unit transhipped from HMAT Devanha to the Destroyer HMS Ribble.  The Commanding Officer of C Section of 3FA was Captain Douglas McWhae and he lead C Section ashore at Gallipoli in the 2nd tow at 5am on 25th April 1915 under heavy fire. 

McWhae recalled: “Several men were wounded on the destroyer and a young naval officer shot dead through the head (while waving the men off with a ‘Good Luck’) and Symonds of B Section shot through the chest.  I saw one infantryman shot, fall into the water and drown with heavy pack despite the efforts of one of the sailors to save him.  The rowboats returned to the destroyer and we entered them under heavy fire.  Then we rowed to shore under a frightful fire.  At first the beach was absolutely swept with machine-gun and rifle fire, so that there was no possibility of going near the boats (of the first tows) or to help the wounded lying on the beach.  Jack’s boat grounded in deep water, about 300 metres north of Ari Burnu Point, almost opposite the Sphinx.  He was the second man out of his boat.  The first and third men out, on either side of him, were killed instantly.  Soon after dawn the rifle fire stopped and we were able to look after the wounded - now shrapnel fire only.  There were great numbers of wounded whom it took all the morning to attend to and get away.  The Red-Cross flag was put up after a time.  The three sections were going for all they were worth...they had iodine and field dressings; all splints were improvised using rifles and bushes.  They were terrible wounds to deal with.”

A primitive collecting post was established using the cover of the overgrown vegetation beyond the beach.  Sometime around 6am a Major Jackson, of the 7th Battalion, arrived at the collecting post requesting urgent assistance for his men about 1,200 metres north of the Sphinx and at the extreme left of the landing area.  McWhae and C Section set off at once, skirting the chest-high thorny bushes inland which they used for cover.  When they arrived at their destination - a small hillock with a fisherman’s hut at its base, it was a gruesome scene which met their eyes.  Between 9 and 10 am the Turks began a massive counter-attack.  By midday they were in possession of all the high ground around Baby 700 and the collecting post at Fisherman’s Hut (where there “were over a hundred wounded” according to McWhae), was under serious threat.  By the end of first day the unit casualties were 2 killed 18 wounded and 4 missing. 

On 26th April 1915 Frank’s unit worked all day at the 3rd Brigade Headquarters.  The following day they evacuated the collecting posts for the 9th and 10th Battalions under heavy shrapnel fire.  Captain McWhae was wounded in the forehead and eye by shrapnel, and was evacuated to the transport ship Galeka on 28th, where surgeon, Major Harry Butler removed his eye.  Captain Lyle Buchanan took over C Bearer Section and he warned Jack Simpson, officially, of “the inevitable result of wounding or worse” if he chose to continue with his donkey trips.  Jack chose to continue.  Buchanan described the situation in Monash Valley thus: “Other people using the valley had a dozen waist-high shelter spots...(Simpson) had really only one spot on the way which sheltered him and his donkey.” Buchanan added that “he had earned (the Victoria Cross) fifty times.”  Simpson was killed on 19th May 1915 while escorting a wounded soldier to the beach. 

It’s unclear from Frank’s service records when he departed from Gallipoli and for what reason, but at some point he made his way to Mex Camp at Alexandria.  He then proceeded to Maddi Camp in late November 1915.  He re-joined the 3FA at Tel-el-Kebir Camp on 16.1.1916 then on 21.2.1916 he was transferred to 13th Field Ambulance (13FA) and promoted to Corporal on 24.3.1916.  He was appointed Temporary Sergeant on 27.3.1916. 

The 13FA embarked from Alexandria for France on HMT Oriana on 6th June 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles on 13th June 1916.  Frank was promoted to Sergeant on 2.7.1916 then on 3.9.1916, while the Unit was serving at Wippenhoek, Belgium, he was wounded by shrapnel to the head and neck but remained on duty initially.  He was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) 3 days later then transferred to the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2AGH) at Wimereux, France.  He was evacuated to England on HMHS Newhaven and admitted to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1AAH) at Harefield. 

On 14th October 1916 Frank married Margaret Adela King at Northwood, England, and 10 days later made his way to Perham Downs Camp where he spent some time before proceeding to Wareham Camp in January 1916.  On 12.3.1917 he was transferred to 3rd Australian General Hospital (3AGH) at Abbeville, France.  He spent a month attached for duty at No. 2 Parkhouse Camp before embarking for France from Southampton on 11.4.1917.  He was admitted to hospital with an undisclosed condition in late April 1917 and re-joined his Unit in early May 1917. 

In mid-April 1918 he was hospitalised with PUO…a fever of unknown source.  He re-joined his Unit a week later.  Frank was granted Special Leave to the UK for having enlisted in 1914, from early November 1918 till late January 1919.  He then reported to AIF Headquarters at Heytesbury before reporting to the AAMC Depot at Fovant Camp in late March 1919. 

Frank and Margaret welcomed a son, Dennis, in September 1919.  Frank was granted indefinite leave due to his wife being ill and unable to travel.  His parents and sister were also in England.  Frank, with his wife and son, embarked from England on the HMAT Lucie Woermann on 5.12.1919 and disembarked in Western Australian on 13.1.1920.  He was discharged in the UK on 29.8.1919 and then discharged at WA on 27.1.1920.

The family settled on a farm at Yelbeni WA, 138 miles NE of Perth.  On Christmas Day 1920 Frank and Margaret welcomed another son, Roy, followed by 2 daughters Myrtle 1922 and Leslie 1924.  The family suffered a tragic blow on 7th August 1930 when Margaret died suddenly leaving Frank to raise 4 young children.  She was 38. 

Frank was living at Bassendean, a suburb of Perth, when he passed away on 12th September 1968 aged 76.  He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, WA.               

Frank Richard George Sansom was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.   

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 25th November 2022.