Frederick John FORSTER

FORSTER, Frederick John

Service Numbers: 1713, 2940
Enlisted: 31 January 1916, Enlisted in Horsham Victoria.
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Light Horse Regiment
Born: Edenhope Vic, 1897
Home Town: Edenhope, West Wimmera, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Heart Disease , Edenhope Vic, 13 July 1933
Cemetery: Edenhope Public Cemetery
Memorials: Edenhope War Memorial, Kowree Shire Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

31 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, 1713, 13th Light Horse Regiment, Enlisted in Horsham Victoria.
6 May 1916: Embarked Private, 1713, 13th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Clan MacCorquodale, Melbourne
6 May 1916: Involvement Private, 1713, 13th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan MacCorquodale embarkation_ship_number: A6 public_note: ''
28 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 2940, 10th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: RMS Mooltan embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
28 Aug 1916: Embarked Private, 2940, 10th Light Horse Regiment, RMS Mooltan, Fremantle
16 Dec 1916: Transferred 10th Light Horse Regiment, Transferred to 10th Light Horse Regiment from 13th Light Horse Regiment. Serice number changed to 2940.
25 Oct 1917: Transferred 10th Light Horse Regiment, Transferred to Cairo to be admitted to hospital (Pericarditis) from Kantara
11 Nov 1917: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Transferred to 1S "Wiltshire for embarkation to Australia
12 Nov 1917: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2940, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Embarked for Australia (from Cairo)

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Biography contributed by Loxton High School

Private Frederick John Forster - Biography

Private Frederck John Forster was an Australian Light Horse soldier. Forster was born in Edenhope, Victoria in 1896. The son of Frederick Forster and Mary O'neil. He was 19 years and 4 months old when he bravely enlisted in Horsham, Victoria, on the 31st of January, 1916. 

With a height of 5 feet, 10 inches, and a chest measurement of 33 1/2, he was not a big person, so he would fit inside the trenches as well as a person possibly could. Forster's medical examination took place on the 29th of January in 1916, in Horsham, so he was officially enlisted on the 31st as mentioned before. Forster was a farmer who worked closely with his father Frederick, and brother George, who also went to war, amoung other siblings. 

Forster was to embark from Port Melbourne but was not able to for an un-known reason. He later made his way to Fremantle to re-embark on the RMS Mooltan on the 21st of September 1916. Forster first arrived at an isolation camp in Moascar, Egypt. On the 21 of October the same year, Forster marched out to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment where he was held on strength at the isolation camp. It was then that  he was transferred to the 10th Light Horse Regiment, where he was on strength in Magaid, Egypt. When Forster was Transferred, his service number was changed from 1713, to 2940. 

He was officially qualified as a first class gunner in Shellal, at an army training school, on the 29th of September 1917. Just less than a month after what im sure was an exciting event for the soldier, Forster was sent to hospital, with what was believed to be Pericarditis (inflammination of the pericardium, the fibrous sac surrounding the heart). He was admitted to a hospital in Rafa.

Just two, what would have been LONG, days after the diagnosis, Forster was transferred via train to another hospital in Kantara, because it was found that he was suffering from severe heart disease, therefore could no longer fight for his country as he had planned to. 

Forster was then transferred to Cairo, to be discharged and to embark for Australia as he was unfit to battle. 

Private Frederick John Forster died from heart disease in his hometown of Edenhope, Victoria, Australia. He is buried in the Edenhope Community Cemetary.

While Forster was away at war, his caring father, Frederick Forster, planted trees in the World War 1 Avenue of Honor, in Booroopki, West Wimmera, Victoria (north of Edenhope) in honour of his two brave sons. 

 

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