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He was 21 and the son of Francis Joseph and Alvina F. Rankin, of Golden Square, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

                                   INSCRIPTION
GOD HAS SAVED FROM WEARY STRIFE IN ITS DAWN THIS YOUNG FRESH LIFE

Francis was a Gallipoli veteran.

The North West Post (Formby, Tas.) Tuesday 26 September 1916 p 3 [sic]:

“ABOUT PEOPLE. The Rev F. J. Rankin, of Barnie, received word on Saturday that his eldest son, Francis Roy had died in the Colchester Military Hospital, England, from the effects of wounds received in France two months ago.”   

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Francis Roy Rankin was born at Mount Moriac, Victoria in 1895 to parents Francis Joseph and Alvina Ferdinand Rankin (nee Bartlett). 

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 22nd January, 1915 as a 20 year old, single, Clerk at Victorian Savings Bank.

Private Francis Roy Rankin, Service number 493, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 10th May, 1915 with the 6th Infantry Brigade, 21st Infantry Battalion, “B” Company.

On 29th August, 1915 Private Rankin proceeded to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli from Alexandria.

Newspaper item - The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times, Tasmania –25 November, 1915:

THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT

TAKING TO THE BOATS

ADVENTURES IN THE WATER

A BURNIE LETTER

The following graphic account of the torpedoing of the transport Southland is from a letter of Private F. R. Rankin, who was on board, to his mother, at Burnie:—

The trip from Alexandria was the most delightful I have had until one morning when I was down below laughing and joking with some of my mates. There was a crash, and the ship seemed to stop dead. We all realised we had been torpedoed, so we quickly picked our life belts and started to go up on deck. But of course the crowds from the decks were coming down for their belts, and it was some time before we could go up. But everybody was calm and cool, and there was no hurrying, let alone pushing or struggling. When I reached the deck the ship was still slowly moving, though the engines had stopped, and she was swinging round to starboard and had an ominous list to port, where the torpedo had struck her. We fell in opposite our boat and waited until the seamen had got it ready. The boat was left hanging from one davit, and was over-turned in being lowered. The crews of two or three other boats let the same thing happen. I was one of the first to strike the water, and took a neat header, with the rest on top of me. It seemed a long time before I could struggle to the surface, and when I did come up there were two or three others clinging to me, and a waterproof sheet and blanket rolled and tied in the shape of a yoke round my neck. By the time I had got rid of these I found myself drifting across the ship's propellers which luckily were not revolving. I was finding it impossible to reach the boat, being hindered by belt, boots and clothes, as well as the waves, and was drifting away with dozens of others floating about and clinging to wreckage about me from the ship's boats, until I spied the end of a rope floating near me. I grabbed this and hauled myself along it till it brought me to a boat. It was sinking and crowded, and the men couldn't find the drain hole, which had not been plugged. They managed to keep her afloat by bailing until they found the hole and plugged it. But our troubles had only began. Everybody was talking at once, and no one was in charge. Some wanted to stay near the ship, which didn't seem in a hurry to sink. One of the sailors wanted to hoist the mast and sail and make for an island just on the horizon. His idea was scouted, because we were nearly capsizing at every wave as it was, the boat being over-crowded. The gear, sails and mast were very heavy, and took up a lot of room ; so another sailor wanted them thrown overboard, but the crowd wouldn't hear of that either. We might want them, some one said. At last a sergeant-major ordered us to row for the island. We made terribly slow progress, and in a couple of hours were only a couple of miles from the ship, the waves and breeze being against us. The ship was still floating, much to our surprise, as we had expected her to go down within a few minutes. But our concern was to keep our own little boat from upsetting, and only by carefully keeping her head to the waves could we manage this. Presently a streak of smoke was seen on the horizon, and very quickly a ship came into view; she was a hospital ship, and six others soon came after her, and began picking up the scattered boats. Three of them were destroyers, and it was a grand sight to see them streaking, yet sneaking, through the water at their top speed. We were taken on a cruiser, where the sailors fed us, dried our clothes and gave us cigarettes. That night we were brought into port and put on board a troopship. Our ship came in under her own steam, and was run aground. The forward hold was the only part of the ship filled with water, the watertight compartments saving her. The torpedo had fortunately gone between the boilers and magazines, missing both. We were a shipwrecked looking lot, most of the soldiers having no hats, tunics, putties, boots or socks. Some were dressed in sailors' clothes, and some half in sailors' and half in soldiers'.  

Private Rankin disembarked from Ascanius at Alexandria on 7th December, 1915 from Mudros (after the evacuation of Gallipoli).

He was admitted to 6th Field Ambulance at Tel-el-Kebir on 16th January, 1916 with Pyrexia (fever).  Private Rankin was transferred to 5th Field Ambulance the same day then transferred to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 17th January, 1916 with P.U.O. (Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin). Private Rankin was transferred & admitted to 2nd General Hospital at Gizeregh on 18th January, 1916 with Influenza.

On 21st January, 1916 Private Rankin was admitted to Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir.

Private Rankin was discharged from 2nd Australian General Hospital at Gizeregh on 19th February, 1916 & admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbassia the same day suffering from Broncho Pneumonia. He was discharged on 25th February, 1916 to Convalescent Depot at Helouan then discharged to Gizeregh on 29th February, 1916.

He was marched in to overseas Base at Gizeregh on 6th March, 1916 then transferred to his Battalion from Details at Moascar on 7th March, 1916.

On 19th March, 1916 Private Rankin proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 26th March, 1916.

Private Francis Roy Rankin was written up on 18th May, 1916 while posted at Rue Fleurie for being absent from Billet. He was awarded 3 days C.B. (confined to Barracks) on 20th May, 1916.

On night of 29th -30th June, 1916 Private Francis Roy Rankin took part in a raid on enemy’s trenches.

Private Francis Roy Rankin was wounded in action in France on 30th July, 1916 at Pozieres. He was admitted to 44th Casualty Clearing Station on 30th July, 1916 with GSW (gunshot wound/s) to Spine. Private Rankin was admitted to 22nd General Hospital at Camiers, France on 4th August, 1916. He was invalided to England on 9th August, 1916 from Calais on Hospital Ship Dieppe with bullet wound paralysis.

He was admitted to General Hospital at Colchester, England on 10th August, 1916. The Hospital Admissions form records: “ 10/8/16 wound 2 weeks old, quite healed. Bullet entered left side of neck in front at level of Thyroid, out near spine, left side. No control of water of Bowels. Complete ___ of legs, but feel when touched. 12/8/16 Cystitis present, passes motions continuously.18/8/16 Haematuria, pus in urine, Diarrohea.”

The War Gratuity Schedule form records for 14th August, 1916 – “NOK advised dangerously ill – G.S.W. Spine.” On 18th August, 1916 “NOK advised Removed from dangerous list.”

Private Francis Roy Rankin died at 11.40 pm on 10th September, 1916 at General Military Hospital, Colchester, Essex, England from wounds received in action in France – fractured spine & paralysis of lower extremities. The Hospital Admissions form also recorded after his death “He also had a carotid aneurism.”

He was buried in Colchester Cemetery, Colchester, Essex, England where 10 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/colchester.html