Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick William Olney Dingle Biography

Word War 1, also known as ‘The War to end all Wars’ was a global conflict that began on the 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was triggered by the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 28 June 1914, whose identity was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; however historians argue WW1 was also caused by numerous other contributing factors such as nationalism, militarism, and friction between European empires induced by imperialism. The conflict comprised of two sides, the members of the Triple Entente and the Triple alliance. The Triple Entente consisted of Britain, France and Russia while the Triple Alliance was Germany, Austro-Hungary and Italy, whom joined the Allies in April 26th 1915.

Albeit the Australian federation in 1901, Australia was still a member of the British Empire in 1914 and was inclined to participate. Australia joined the war on 04/08/1914 ("Timeline: Australia In The First World War, 1914-1918"); and contributed to the war by supplying soldiers along with selling resources. WW1 had major economic impact on the world including Australia. An increased demand from overseas and the decrease of farmers to the war like Mr F.W.O Dingle increased food prices in Australia by 32% during the war ("IMPACT OF WWI ON AUSTRALIA"). The war also caused an increase in tax during the period; and the decrease of men lead to women to take their jobs which allowed the rise of feminism.

Frederick William Olney Dingle was born in September 1886 in Adelaide, South Australia (Examination of Frederick William Olney Dingle on Enlistment) of his mother Lydia Dingle and a father whose identity was unknown ("DINGLE, Frederick William Olney"). F.W.O Dingle soon became a state child (orphan) due to his mother’s death and an untraceable paternal bloodline ("Re.No 279. F.W.O.DINGLE. (Deceased)."). Dingle was then adopted at 5 weeks of age by Ms Melvina Wills of Nangkita South Australia (The Adelaide Chronicle pg39); who took charge of him from the state ("Re.No 279. F.W.O.DINGLE. (Deceased)"). His foster mother raised him in Nangkita and Dingle was educated at Nangkita Public School and grew to be “deservedly popular” (The Adelaide Chronicle pg39). Dingle was a single farmer of the religion Methodism. ("Frederick William Olney DINGLE")

F.W.O Dingle enlisted as a soldier on 23/03/1916 in the Exhibition A.I.F Camp Adelaide. Records show he enlisted at the age of 19 years and 6 months; with height of 185.42 cm, weight of 74 kg, chest width of 90.17-96.52cm; characterised with brown hair and grey eyes. Dingle was assigned the rank private with service number 279 to the 2nd Deploy Battalion on enlistment. (Examination of Frederick William Olney Dingle on Enlistment) However he was soon posted to the 8th Machine Gun Company, 3rd Reinforcements on 01/04/1916. (Casualty Forms - Active Service). During the start period of his career as a soldier, he received a wage of 5 shillings per Diem (per day), with an allotment of 4 shillings per Diem to Australia. This signifies his reason for enlistment to be most likely caused by financial problems in his family. ("AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE- NOMINAL ROLL- Continued")

Dingle then left Adelaide on the 29/04/1916 and embarked aboard the HMAT Port Lincoln A17 in Melbourne on 04/05/1916 and began a trip taken the duration 5 months to England. (Casualty Forms - Active Service)  His route consisted of a ship to Egypt then taking a second ship to Britain. ("Routes, 1900S–20S") On the 02/08/1916 he embarked aboard the H.T. Franconian at Alexandria, Egypt. (Casualty Forms - Active Service)

Dingle arrived in Salisbury England in September 1916. On the 22/9/16, he marched to Grantham to the 1st Machine Gun Training Depot Belton Park Camp; where he would receive training for the next two months. (Casualty Forms - Active Service)

On the 17/11/1916, Dingle finished training and set off to Folkestone, England; where he would embark to France aboard the Golden Eagle on the 01/12/16. He arrived in France a day later in Boulogne, and then marched to Camiers, arriving at the 8th Australian Machine Gun Company base on the 09/01/17. Soon afterwards Dingle was officially Taken On Strength of 8th Aus. Machine Gun co on the 12/1/17 at the same base. (Casualty Forms - Active Service)

However, soon after officially beginning his service, Dingle was sent to hospital sick on 22/01/17. He was diagnosed with measles the day after at the 1st Anzac Medical Dressing Station and was transported to the Casualty Clearing Station; as measles were fairly lethal at the time. He was discharged in 25/01/17 but however was found with a new disease supervening, and was transferred to the 8th stat. Hospital in Wimereux instead diagnosed with bronchitis. Afterwards he was transferred to the 1st Convalescent Depot on 1/2/17 and was finally discharged as fit on the 07/02/1917. He marched back and re-joined his troupe on the battlefield near Camiers on the 20/02/16, with the illnesses taking him nearly a month away from the battlefield. (Casualty Forms - Active Service)

The 8th Machine Gun Corps fought in the Fleurbaix and Fromelles area in July 1916 and in 26-29 September at Polygon Wood. The company would have used the Vickers Medium Machine Gun and the Lewis Machine Gun in their campaigns. (Returned & Services League of Australia SA Branch) ("The Vickers Machine Gun")

On the 11/10/17, Dingle was wounded in action on the day receiving a gunshot wound to the head causing compound skull fracture and protrusion brain matter. He was rescued from site by the 69th Field Ambulance, however died later on the same day at the 11th Casualty Clearing Station in France (Casualty Forms - Active Service).  War diaries show on 11/10/17 the 8th Machine Gun Company suffered from a light enemy artillery retaliation between 5.45 to 7am; destruction of some ammunition and guns around 7-10am by the enemy; enemy planes flying low between 9.10 to 10am; and snipers, gas shells within an artillery battle from 9am forward. (AWM4 24/13/17 - October 1917)

Dingle died of wounds on Thursday 11/10/17 in France, serving 1 year 6 months and 18 days from enlistment ("Frederick William Olney DINGLE"); at the age of 21 years (The Adelaide Chronicle pg39). He was later buried on the 12/12/16 (Casualty Forms - Active Service) at the Godewaersvelde British Cemetery in France of Plot I, Row P, and Grave no. 16. After the war ended, he received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal ("Frederick William Olney DINGLE") which were passed on to his foster mother Melvina Dingle.

Bibliography

"AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE- NOMINAL ROLL- Continued". Awm.gov.au. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <’https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R2041060/’>

AWM4 24/13/17 - October 1917. 1917. Diary. Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War AWM4 Subclass 24/13 - 8th Australian Machine Gun Company. <‘https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/bundled/RCDIG1007248.pdf’>

Boyle, Thomas, Major. ("Re.No 279. F.W.O.DINGLE. (Deceased)." Letter to Ms Melvina Wills. 6 Oct. 1922. MS. Keswick Barracks, Adelaide, SA. <’https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3507882’>

Casualty Forms - Active Service. 1916. Service record. Army Form B. 103. Canberra. <‘https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3507882’>

"DINGLE, Frederick William Olney". Genealogysa.org.au. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. *link too long to display

Examination Of Frederick William Olney Dingle On Enlistment. 2017. Service record. B2455. Canberra. <‘https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3507882’>

"Frederick William Olney DINGLE". Aif.adfa.edu.au. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=79432’>

"IMPACT OF WWI ON AUSTRALIA". Markedbyteachers.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/history/impact-of-wwi-on-australia.html’>

Larkins, Steve. "8Th Machine Gun Company". Rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au. N.p., 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/units/337’>

"Routes, 1900S–20S". museumvictoria.com.au. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘https://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/websites-mini/journeys-australia/1900s20s/routes-1900s20s/’>

The Adelaide Chronicle. "HEROES OF THE GREAT WAR: THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY VOL. LX.-NO. 3089". 03 Nov. 1917: pg. 26, 28, 39. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87413614#’>

"The Vickers Machine Gun". History Learning Site. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. <‘http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/the-western-front-in-world-war-one/the-vickers-machine-gun/>

"Timeline: Australia In The First World War, 1914-1918". Awm.gov.au. Web. 4 Apr. 2017. <‘https://www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918/timeline/’>