Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick Reinhold Witte was born at Forest Range on the 28th February 1893. He was a bricklayer. Witte enlisted on the 11th August 1915 aged 22 and listed his mother, Sarah Ann Witte of Balhannah, as next of kin.
Witte joined the 10th Battalion and left Australia on the 2nd December 1915. He left Alexandria on board Vania bound for Marseilles to join the BEF on the 29th March 1916.
Witte was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field in France on the
24th March 1917. His war service record states, “Private Rheinhold Frederick
Witte displayed great devotion to duty near Le Barque on the 25th February 1917. He rendered valuable service by patrolling our flanks and front and gaining information of importance. He was continuously under fire from machine guns and snipers.”{Source: “Commonwealth Gazette” No. 140 27 August 1917}.
He was admitted to hospital with pyrexia [fever of an unknown origin} on the
25th June, rejoining his unit on the 7th July. He was again hospitalised at the General Hospital Havre on the 21st September and was able to rejoin his unit on the 26th November
On the 24th July 1918 Private Witte was wounded in action, suffering shrapnel wounds to the groin and abdomen. He was invalided to England on the 10th August and admitted to Bethnall Green Hospital. While at Bethnall Green for treatment Witte married Gertrude Alice Mary Creed on the 12th September. Witte returned to Australia on board Gaika on the 8th November 1918 and was discharged on the 9th March 1919.