BILLIET, Frederick Michael
| Service Number: | 4434 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 July 1915, Engineers for 6 years (submarine) |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 6th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, April 1887 |
| Home Town: | Abbotsford, Boroondara, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Warder |
| Died: | 11th Australian General Hospital, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia, 29 November 1919, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Burwood General Cemetery, Victoria, Australia Presbyterian 1, Section H, Grave 4 Note in Attestation to say Army provided a Gun Carriage, NCO and Bugler for funeral. |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4434, 6th Infantry Battalion, Engineers for 6 years (submarine) | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4434, 6th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 28 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4434, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 30 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 6th Infantry Battalion | |
| 22 Feb 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 6th Infantry Battalion | |
| 24 Oct 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 6th Infantry Battalion | |
| 14 Aug 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 4434, 6th Infantry Battalion, The Battle of Amiens, GSW right arm - upper | |
| 12 Feb 1919: | Honoured Military Medal, For conspicuous gallantry on the night of 9th/10th July near Merris, France | |
| 24 Feb 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 4434, 6th Infantry Battalion |
Sergeant Frederick Michel Billiet
From How They Served
4434 Sergeant Frederick Michel Billiet MM of Abbotsford, Victoria had been employed as a warder when he enlisted for War Service on the 12th of July 1915. Allocated to reinforcements for the 6th Battalion, Frederick embarked for Egypt and further training on the 28th of January 1916. From Egypt he was shipped to France where he disembarked on the 4th of April and entered the Bull Ring Estaples before joining his Battalion in the trenches on the 13th of July.
Frederick remained on duty until he was evacuated sick on the 12th of January 1917, On the 25th of May after further convalescence in England, Frederick was made an instructor attached to the 2nd Training Battalion on the 6th of February 1918.
Frederick rejoined his Battalion in France and aside bouts of sickness remained on duty until he was wounded in action by shrapnel to his right arm on the 10th of August 1918. For his services in the field Frederick had been awarded the Military Medal. On 5th of January Frederick was embarked for his return to Australia and was discharged from the 1st AIF on the 24th of February.
Frederick was soon admitted into the 11th Australian General Hospital (Caulfield), and it was whilst still a patient that he died due to the effects of his service on the 29th of November 1919. Frederick was accorded a formal military funeral when he was laid to rest within Burwood Pioneers Cemetery, Victoria.
Submitted 3 April 2019 by Evan Evans
Biography contributed by Ross Martin
Frederick Michael Billiet was born in Richmond, Victoria during 1877.
At the time of his enlistment on 10/7/1915 he was working at the Sunbury Asylum as a Warder. His next of kin was his wife Emily (Poppy) Elizabeth Billiet of 22 Williams Street Abbotsford.Frederick was 28yo, 5ft 9ins tall and weighed 10 stone. He had grey eyes and black hair.
After training he left Australia on 28/1/1916 aboard the HMAT Themistocies as part of the 6th Battalion.
He arrived in Alexandria on 28/2/1916 and left again for France, arriving at Marseilles on 4/4/1916. After training at Etaples he joined the 6th Battalion on 30/7/1916. He was promoted to L/Corp on 30/8/1916 and Corporal on 22/2/1917.
During fighting in the vicinity of Merris, France on the night of 9 & 10 July 1918 Sgt Billiet was recommended for the award of Military Medal. His citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry on the night of 9/10 July 1918 near Merris. After taking part in the attack, and while his men were consolidating, this NCO with 2 men crept forward through the barbed wire and crop to locate an enemy machine gun which was hampening their consolidation. He eventually located the machine gun and, after a brief hand to hand fight, succeeded in capturing the gun and crew and bringing both gun and prisoners back to our lines. His dash and daring cannot be too highly praised".
On 10th August 1918, while fighting at Lihons, Sgt. Billiet was wounded in the arm and was evacuated to the UK. After treatment he was classed as unfit for action and he returned to Australia on HMAT Seuvic reaching Melbourne on 5/1/1919, and was discharged from the AIF on 24/2/1919.
He was admitted to the 11th AGH at Caulfield during November 1919 and died there of Nephritis and Uraemia on 29/11/1919.
He was buried, with full military honours on 1/12/1919 at the Burwood Cemetery.
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