Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank was the twin son of Thomas SWANSTON & Elizabeth HAMPSHIRE and was born on the 5th of March 1882 in Pt Lincoln, SA.

His parents were married on the 12th of February 1875 in Pt Lincoln, SA.

His father was the son of Leonard SWANSTON & Marion TURNER and was born in 1837 in Selkerkshire, Scotland.
His mother was the daughter of John HAMPSHIRE and was born in 1844 in Wales.

Frank was the second child born into this family of 4 children.

His mother had arrived in South Australia as a 20 year old domestic servant on the 14th of December 1863 on board the Sir John Lawrence.
She had then married to Albert BLANDFORD on the 22nd of April 1865 in Pt Lincoln, SA and they had 3 children; Elizabeth, born on the 3rd of October 1867 but she died on the 7th of January 1869, Albert William, born on the 1st of January 1870 in North Shields, near Pt Lincoln and William, born on the 7th of September 1872.
Albert then died whilst shearing on Mr Horn’s Station in Maryvale on the 21st of September 1872 and Elizabeth was left a widow.

His father was previously married to Janet RENTON on the 21st of December 1860 in Berwick, Scotland and they had arrived in South Australia on board the Prince of Wales on the 17th of October 1866. Janet had also acted as an assistant nurse on voyage.
Janet died on the 8th of September 1874 in Tiatukia, near Pt Lincoln.

Frank’s father was a bullock driver.
Frank was only 3 years old when his father died on the 19th of April 1885 in Franklin Harbour and at the time his mother was a few weeks pregnant.
His father was run over by a dray when trying to prevent Mrs John Miller’s child from coming into danger at Franklin Harbour.
They buried him in the Wangaraleednie Cemetery.

His mother received some small government relief but as she was an invalid suffering from chronic Rheumatism and heart disease she was unable to care fro the 4 youngest children.

On the 22nd of May 1887 his mother was admitted into the Destitute Asylum and Frank and his were admitted into the Magill Industrial School and became wards of the state.
Frank & Leonard were sentenced until they turned 16 and Lily & Elizabeth were sentenced until they turned 18.

Elizabeth was adopted out to Mary Jane WIGGINS, of Grote Street Adelaide, on the 27th of May
Frank and Lily were adopted out to Mrs Emily AUSTIN, of Craigburn, near Blackwood, on the 29th of June.

Frank’s mother then died in the Destitute Asylum on the 24th of October 1887.

Leonard wasn’t adopted out until the 10th of April 1888 and he went to Mr Thomas HILL, a farmer of Maitland.

Frank attended the Coromandel Valley Public School under the name of Frank AUSTIN for 6 years until he committed some thefts and was returned to the Industrial School on the 6th of March 1895.
He was then placed into the service of Mrs Sarah ATTRILL, dairy farmer, of Meningie on the 5th of April 1895.
He remained with her until he was overage on the 5th of March 1898.

By 1915 he had moved to Salisbury and had gained employment as a labourer.

It is not clear if Frank and his siblings remained in contact, however, Frank must have been in contact with his twin sister Lily as her name appears on his WW1 enlistment papers.

At the age of 34, Frank enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 9th of August 1915 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3309 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his sister Lily, of Fourth Avenue, East Adelaide, as his next of kin.

On the 9th of September a farewell social was held in the Salisbury Institute fro Frank and 10 other soldiers who had enlisted.
Another one was then given to Frank on the 7th of October.

He was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements and then embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Benalla on the 27th of October 1915.
He disembarked in Pt Suez and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Zeitoun and in February 1916 he was transferred to the newly raised 50th Battalion in Serapeum and posted to B Company.

Back home in Australia his brother Leonard enlisted into the 10th Battalion, 17th Reinforcements on the 1st of February 1916 (5436) and embarked on the 11th of April on board HMAT Aeneas.

Frank suffered from Enteric Fever and was hospitalised and missed his Battalion proceeding to France.
He returned to the 3rd Training Battalion and they were then relocated to Perham Downs, England.

He proceeded to France in August and joined his Battalion at Steenvoorde.

On the 2nd of April 1917, during the attack at Noreuil, Frank suffered a Gun Shot Wound to and through the left side of his jaw and was then captured by the Germans.
He spent weeks in the Kriegs Gef Lazarett POW Hospital in Douain, near Valenciennes.
His received bad treatment and he lost all his upper Molars on the left side of his face and his cheek adhered to his jaw bone.

Frank then spent the remainder of the war in Limburg POW Camp, Minden POW Camp, Dulmen POW Camp and then Parchim POW Camp.
He was repatriated on the 13th of February 1919 and embarked for England.

Frank finally embarked for Australia on the 4th of July 1919 on board HT Norman and disembarked in Adelaide on the 15th of August.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 22nd of March 1920 and returned to Salisbury.

Frank married Lena Alla Harvey HEIER on the 20th of September 1924 in the Church of Transfiguration, Gawler, SA.
Lena was the daughter of Adelheid HEIER and was born on the 13th of November 1895 in Para Plains, SA. Her mother named the Putative father as L PLUNKETT, Langham Hotel, Adelaide.

Lena had been admitted into the Industrial School in 1898 as a neglected child and had spent many years with different families.

They never had children and in later life they lived at Para Street, Salisbury.

Frank died on the 7th of February 1965 in Daw Park Repatriation Hospital and was buried 2 days later in the Salisbury Memorial Park; Anglican, Plot 1188.

Lena died on the 17th of May 1978 and was buried with Frank in the Salisbury Memorial Park; Anglican, Plot 1188.

Military

At the age of 34, Frank enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 9th of August 1915 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3309 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his sister Lily, of Fourth Avenue, East Adelaide, as his next of kin.

On the 1st of October he was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements and then embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Benalla on the 27th of October 1915.

He disembarked in Pt Suez and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Zeitoun.

On the 26th of February 1916 Frank was transferred to the newly raised 50th Battalion in Serapeum and posted to B Company.
The 50th Battalion was raised as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were veterans from the 10th Battalion and the other half were fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 10th the 50th was predominantly composed of men from South Australia. The battalion became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division and was dubbed "Hurcombe's Hungry Half Hundred", after its first CO, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Hurcombe.

Frank continued his training and then on the 7th of May he was admitted into the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital in Ismailia suffering from Enteric Fever. Five days later he was transferred to the Military Infectious Hospital.
On the 4th of June he was transferred to the British Red Cross Hospital in Montazah and then discharged to duty on the 23rd of June and marched into the 13th Training Battalion.

During his time in hospital he Battalion had proceeded to France.

Now that the AIF units were moving to France the 13th Training Battalion embarked for England and reformed at Perham Downs on the 8th of August 1916.

Nine days later Frank suffered from Haemoptysis on the 17th of August and was admitted into the Fargo Military Hospital for 4 days.
Then on the 28th of August Frank proceeded to France and was taken on strength with the 50th Battalion on the 16th of September at Steenvoorde in billets.

They spent the remainder of September and early October at Dickebusch tasked with fatigue duty.
The Battalion saw out the rest of the year alternating between front-line duty and training and labouring behind the line in and around Fricourt.
By the 24th of November they had moved to Benafay Wood into training before entraining and marching to Buire on the 6th of December, for further training.

On the 18th of December they entrained to St Vaast, where they spent Christmas 1916, before marching 8 miles to Cardonette on the 3rd of January 1917.
The following day they march to Buire and then on the 6th they marched to Fricourt and onto Bezantin and into the front line trenches.
They were relieved on the 27th of January and moved to Perth Camp, at Bernafay and after 3 weeks here they relieved the 51st Battalion in the front line.
Ten days later, they moved to Bazentin and then onto Buire for further training and reorganisation.
On the 22nd of March they moved to Mametz Camp before they took over the front line south of Noreuil.

They then participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and attacked at Noreuil.
This attacked was made by the 50th and 51st Battalions, with the 49th and 52nd in support, at 5.15am on the 2nd of April.
Attacking to the north of the Noreuil, the 51st advanced quickly past it and discovered a previously unknown, but unoccupied, trench between them and their objective, which was a sunken road to the east of the village.
Encountering machine-gun fire from the Noreuil, now behind them, they halted in the trench.

The 50th however, hooking through the village from the south, encountered much heavier opposition.
At this point Frank, with B Company, was held in reserve.

The parties detailed to "mop-up" the village proved too weak and were captured, allowing the Germans to attack the troops that had passed beyond it from the rear. Only after B Company was committed to the Battle was the 50th Battalion able to secure positions to the south of the 51st Battalion.

During this Battle Frank suffered a Gun Shot Wound to and through the left side of his jaw and was then captured by the Germans.
He spent weeks in the Kriegs Gef Lazarett POW Hospital in Douain, near Valenciennes.
His received bad treatment and he lost all his upper Molars on the left side of his face and his cheek adhered to his jaw bone.

Frank then spent the remainder of the war in Limburg POW Camp, Minden POW Camp, Dulmen POW Camp and then Parchim POW Camp.
He was finally repatriated on the 13th of February 1919 and admitted into the 44th Casualty Clearing Station near Cologne in France, where he was detained for an inquiry over neglect due to bad treatment of his injuries.

On the 13th of April he was transferred by Ambulance Train to Calais and embarked for England 3 days later and admitted into the Shorncliffe Military Hospital.
He spent 5 days here before being discharged to Headquarters in London and was then granted leave
Whilst on leave he suffered from Adenitis in his left axilla and was admitted into the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford on the 27th of May for 10 days.

Frank was then granted a further 6 days of leave before reporting to No.1 Command Depot at Longbridge Deverill on the 12th of June.

Frank finally embarked for Australia on the 4th of July 1919 on board HT Norman and disembarked in Adelaide on the 15th of August.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 22nd of March 1920 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.