FORLAND, Robert Carrington
| Service Number: | 4779 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia, 1896 |
| Home Town: | Condobolin, Lachlan, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Public School Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Plot IV. Row B. Grave 6. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Condobolin Public School Great War Memorial Gates |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4779, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4779, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4779, 53rd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4779 awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Anne Rice
Robert Carrington Forland
1st & 53rd Battalion, AIF
Service Number:4779
Born: 1896, Condobolin, NSW
Died: 19 July 1916, Fromelles France.
Robert Carrington Forland was born on the 11 Aug 1896 at Condobolin NSW, the son of Johan Laurits and Elizabeth Jane Forland nee Floyd. He was 1 of 9 children.
Prior to enlisting, Forland had served with the 16th Platoon, B Company 42nd Infantry Battalion for 14 months at Condobolin. He had attempted to join the Light Horse but after one month’s service failed the riding test.
Forland enlisted on 20 August 1915 and was allocated to the 15th Reinforcements, 1st Battalion. He embarked aboard HMAT Star of England on 8 March 1916 and upon arrival transferred to the 53rd Battalion.
Forland left for France aboard Royal George on 19 June 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles on 28 June 1916.
He was wounded in action on 19 July 1916 during the Battle of Fromelles. Forland was seen badly wounded by another soldier later in the raid, sitting in a shell hole between the German first and second lines of defence. His fellow soldier said that he would come back and get him later on but owing to heavy shell fire and the enemy pressing, he had to return to his own line.
Forland was not seen again and a Court of Inquiry held on 2 September 1916 ruled that Forland had been killed in action on 19 July 1916.
Shortly after receiving the news of his death, Forland’s family received a letter from Max Gavel, a fellow soldier from Condobolin, stating that only a fortnight before (mid September 1916), Bob Forland had written to his brother Syd from one of the base hospitals. This led to a flurry of letters between the family and the military authorities who notified the family that their son had been killed in action at Fromelles.
Robert laid buried in a mass grave until 2008 when DNA testing identified his remains. Upon his remains being identified through DNA he was laid to rest in 2012 in Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery.
Lest We Forget, We Will Remember Them.
Memorial Details:
Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles, France
Honor Roll, Memorial Park, Condobolin
Honor Roll, Condobolin Public School
Sources:
The above information is taken from Penrith City Local History and acknowledges the below references.
National Archives of Australia: B2455 FORLAND R C
Australian War Memorial First World War Nominal Roll
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Penrith City Library Biography files
Nepean Times(Trove)
Far Away From All Who Loved Him In A Hero's Grave He Lies
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