FRANEY, Arthur
| Service Number: | 3296 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Newtown, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Singleton, Northumberland, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 29 July 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Singleton War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3296, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3296, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3296, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 5 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 26 Oct 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Appointed in the field. | |
| 3 Mar 1917: | Promoted Sergeant, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Appointed in the field. | |
| 29 Jul 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 3296, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3296 awm_unit: 5 Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-07-29 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Arthur FRANEY, (Service Number 3296) was born in Newtown, Sydney in about 1894. He was an orphan and was fostered by Frederick (Fred) Burgman of Sedgefield, near Singleton, NSW, and his wife Catherine, who also had children of their own. Fred Burgman took on the role of Arthur’s legal guardian when Arthur was about three weeks old. Later attempts by Arthur and his foster family to trace his birth-mother proved fruitless.
He was a porter (supernumerary) in the Railways Traffic Branch as at 31 December 1917.
Arthur joined the AIF on 1st August 1915.
On 29 July 1918, he was killed in action near Morlancourt.
Submitted 11 July 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Arthur FRANEY (Service Number 3296) was born in Newtown, Sydney in about 1894. He was an orphan and was fostered by Frederick (Fred) Burgman of Sedgefield, near Singleton, NSW. Fred's wife Catherinemalso had children of their own. Fred Burgman took on the role of Arthur’s legal guardian when Arthur was about three weeks old. Later attempts by Arthur and his foster family to trace his birth-mother proved fruitless.
Arthur joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways and is on record as being a porter (supernumerary) in the Railways Traffic Branch as at 31st December 1917. In his Attestation Paper filled in when he joined the AIF he gave his previous occupation as railway porter.
Arthur joined the AIF on 1st August 1915. He was initially posted to the 11th Reinforcements to the 2nd Infantry Battalion with the rank of Private (Service No. 3296). He nominated his legal guardian, Fred Burgman, as his next of kin and he gave his age as 21. When he enlisted he was living at Balmain in Sydney.
Arthur embarked for Egypt aboard HMAT A14 ‘Euripides’ in Sydney on 2nd November 1915. While in Egypt, on 17th February 1916, he was transferred to the 53rd Infantry Battalion. Two weeks later, on 3rd March 1916, he was transferred again, this time to the 5th Pioneer Battalion. On 19th June 1916 he embarked at Alexandria for France, arriving at Marseilles on 25th June 1916.
For the next two years Arthur was officially on duty with the 5th Pioneer Battalion except for a leave break from 26th May to 10th June 1917 and a period in hospital with scabies from 11th April to 14th June 1918. This was followed by a week in the Australian Infantry Base Depot. During his time on duty he was appointed in the field to the rank of Lance Corporal on 5th July 1916, to Corporal on 26th October 1916, and to Sergeant on 3rd March 1917.
On 29th July 1918, he was killed in action near Morlancourt.
When the time came to send out Arthur’s war medals, etc., they were sent to Fred Burgman’s elder daughter, Lillian Sophia Lambert (née Burgman). This was because Fred had died on 6th March 1917 and Lillian had become Arthur’s oldest known relative (Fred’s wife Catherine had died of a heart attack in March 1908).
Arthur’s grave is in Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, Bray-sur-Somme, Picardie, France.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board