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War Memorial
Australia

Frederick MARRIOTT

Military Medal

Recommendation: - 

'On 2nd November, 1917, west of ZONNEBEKE, he advanced under heavy shell fire, leading two pack mules loaded with ammunition. Both driver MARRIOTT and his two mates were wounded. He went onto the Battery and delivered his ammunition before reporting to the Dressing Station, where he was evacuated.'

Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 110 Date: 25 July 1918

The Bendigonian newspaper reported the following on February 21, 1918  21/02/18. DRIVER FRED. MARRIOTT.                                        "A further distinction has been added to the war honors conferred upon the staff of the Beehive, who are defending their country's honor in France, by the award of a Military Medal to Driver Fred Marriott, who after many rejections succeeded in enlisting in the A.I.F. on 15th July, 1915. Following on the distinction conferred upon the head of the firm, Colonel Henderson, D.S.O., and the Military Medal awarded to Signaller C. Wood, this added honor is one upon which the Beehive is to be congratulated. The news, which was conveyed in a letter from Driver Marriott to his mother, produced feelings of pride in the hearts of his parents and of his fellow employees at the Beehive, with whom he was always a prime favorite. Mr. and Mrs. Marriott, who reside in Creek-street, have had no word from their son for over three months until the letter reached them yesterday'. This was dated from France, 9th December, 1917, and showed that Driver Marriott's brothers, Albert and Jack, were in England at the time and wounded, so that there are three brothers of this family doing their duty at the front. The parents are to be congratulated upon such patriotic sons. Private Norman Robertson, writing to a friend in Bendigo, says that ""Driver Fred. Marriott has been awarded the Military Medal for coolness and bravery under fire. He had been allotted the duty of carrying ammunition to a dangerous point, and whilst doing so was wounded by a shell. He struggled on, however, till he completed his task."  [1]                                                                          

At the height of the conscription debate, the Bendigo Advertiser praised the Marriott family for their contribution to the war effort. The article featured photos and short stories on each of the 3 sons: -  THREE SONS AT THE FRONT.

‘The Marriott family of Bendigo is another one of those patriotic families who believe in deeds rather than words. Three of their sons enlisted early in the war, and have all been doing their bit at the front’. In addition to Fred who was first in the family to enlist and had been a draper at the Beehive there was John E. Marriott, who is 24 years of age with the 23rd Battalion, and had already taken part in two big battles — Bapaume and Bullecourt. Prior to joining he was employed at the Cambridge Press, well known printers in Bendigo. The third son was Albert V. Marriott who enlisted in May 1916, who was with the 25th battalion and at the time also in the trenches. [2]

The Marriott family certainly contributed to the war effort and all three sons did return home.

Fred Marriott was recommended for a bravery award at the second battle for Passchendaele in November 1917 whilst with the Ammunition Column. The logistics of supplying ammunition was critical to any army. Each Division of the AIF had an Ammunition Column to keep ammunition up to the guns by moving it from "Third line" storage up to the Front ("First Line").

SERVICE DETAILS: 

Rget:1897

Religion: Methodist

Occupation: Draper

Address: Creek Street, Bendigo, Victoria

Marital status: Single

Age at enlistment: 19

Next of kin: Father, John Marriott, Creek Street, Bendigo

Enlistment date: 7 July 1915

Unit name: 4th Light Horse Regiment, 13th Reinforcement & 2nd Division Ammunition Column

AWM Embarkation Roll number 10/9/3

Embarked: from Sydney,  HMAT A54 Runic on 20 January 1916

Final Rank: Driver

Unit from Nominal Roll 2nd Division Ammunition Column"

Fate: Returned to Australia 20 May 1919

Date of death: 25 November 1971

West of ZONNEBEKE - The Second Battle of Passchendaele was the culminating attack during the Third Battle of Ypres of the First World War. The battle took place in the Ypres Salient area of the Western Front, in and around the Belgian town of Passchendaele, between 26 October and 10 November 1917.

The Third Battle of Ypres smashed the landscape around Zonnebeke to pieces. Having gradually taken German territory and finally reached the higher ground on the Passchendaele ridge in November 1917 the British Army established a new line. There was, however, very little surviving natural shelter to protect them from enemy artillery or air observation in the form of woods, farms and buildings. Specialist Tunnelling Companies, which had been working in the south of the Salient preparing for the Battle of Messines from 7 June 1917, were moved into the northern sector of the Ypres Salient to construct underground shelters and dugouts.

[1] The Bendigoian newspaper reported the following on February 21, 1918. Page 25

[2] The Bendigo Advertiser, September 13, 1917. Page 2