94600
NEAVE, Frederick John
| Service Number: | 5416 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | London, England, 1886 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Builder |
| Died: | natural causes, place of death not yet discovered, date not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Norwood St Bartholomew's Anglican Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5416, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5416, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 5416, 48th Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 5416, 48th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Frederick John Neave's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Frederick John Neave was aged 30 when he was recruited by the Australian Imperial Force in 1916. At the time of recruitment, he weighed 60 kilograms, had hazel eyes, brown hair and was 5 feet and 7 and ¼ inches tall. Frederick John Neave was a builder prior to joining the AIF; this was utilized by his battalion as he could repair and build shelters which were crucial for the survival of many soldiers.
Frederick enlisted in the 48th Battalion in January of 1916. The 48th Battalion was one of four battalions which were used to make up the 12th Infantry Brigade. For nearly 4 months, Frederick trained with his battalion before he was finally needed in battle on the 11th of April 1916. He embarked a ship called the Aeneas which carried many thousands of men over from Australia to the war fronts in France and Germany.
Soon after landing in Europe, in April of 1917, Frederick John Neave was reported missing in action, and it was later discovered on the 14th of May that he was being held at a railway in Soltau, Germany as a prisoner of war. It is unknown when, but it is known that at some time throughout 1917, Frederick suffered a shrapnel wound to the temple and survived.
Whilst Frederick John Neave was a P.O.W the 48th Battalion began fighting on the western front in July of 1917 after they had come from Egypt and the Suez Canal. The battle of Pozieres in 1916 was the main battle the battalion was involved in and was an utter failure which resulted in the loss of almost half of the men involved. After the battle in Pozieres, the 48th battalion moved to Mouquet Farm which was situated along the Somme. At the battle of the Somme, the AIF experienced more heavy losses and so they decided to strengthen again.
In 1918 on the 26th of December, Frederick was released from his camp in Gefangenenlager in Soltau. He returned to England only a few days later where he spent a while living there waiting until he could return home to Adelaide. Finally, on the 31st of March 1919, Frederick returned to Adelaide where he was reunited with his wife Dorothy.
Frederick John Neave was a person who, in his time at war, reflected the ANZAC spirit. The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) spirit was reflected by many soldiers during the first world war. Soldiers part of the ANZAC were expected to have the following qualities; endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour and mate-ship.
The ANZAC spirit was reflected by soldiers who showed these qualities, on and off the battlefield. Frederick John Neave, was a very courageous man, who developed qualities such as mate-ship and courage throughout his service in the ANZAC. He would have been extremely courageous, considering he had to endure the pain and stress that came with being a prisoner of war. He also must have been courageous considering he enlisted at a time when it was more likely he would die at war than returning home.
Bibliography:
RSL Virtual War Memorial | Australian Soldiers, Memorials and Military History. 2018. RSL Virtual War Memorial | Australian Soldiers, Memorials and Military History. [ONLINE] Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/. [Accessed 05 April 2018].
Details. 2018. Details. [ONLINE] Available at: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=221014. [Accessed 05 April 2018].
| RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia . 2018. Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia . [ONLINE] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=7993107&isAv=N. [Accessed 05 April 2018].