CHAPLIN, Frederick William John
| Service Number: | 3485 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia, 23 April 1884 |
| Home Town: | Alexandria, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Fettler on railway |
| Died: | Cancer, Redfern, New South Wales, Australia, 23 January 1942, aged 57 years |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria, New South Wales, Australia |
| Memorials: | Municipality Of Waterloo Roll of Service No. 1 |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3485, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3485, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 6 Jun 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3485, Gun shot wound to left foot which became infected in the trenches. Following repeat infections Fred was moved to 5th Division HQ. |
Help us honour Frederick William John Chaplin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Kim Vernon
At 31, Fred was considered 'old' for enlisting. With 5 young children it was a big decision for Fred to leave his family. His daughter Glady's was 9 at the time and remembers the fear and uncertainty of her father travelling to the other side of the world.
Fred was based in Egypt and sent home many souvenirs from the country, from postcards to hand made bags. These are still treasured by family members today.
The trenches and harsh, cold, wet winters proved to be Fred's nemesis. Following battles in the Fromelle's and Hill 60, Fred suffered a gun shot wound to his left foot. He returned to the trenches but after multiple infections in the wound and a number of hospital stays, Fred was transferred to the 5th Division headquaters.
Fred was well respected for his stratgic mind and at the end of the war, the British Army requested he join their ranks. Fred spent time considering the offer but felt moving his family to the UK was not the best option.
He returned to Sydney, where his young family were excited to have him home. Following a bout of scabies, Fred was officially discharged. He spent time, sitting on his front porch in Alexandria, Sydney. Fred never spoke much about his time at war, but his daughter Glady's remembers the time spent with him as he chisled the name Kashmir into wood and nailed it to the front of the house. Kasmir was the name of the boat that returned him to Australia. Grateful for the safe return he named his home after that vessel.
At the age of 40, he welcomed his 6th child, a son, he returned to the railways.
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