Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Fred Roy Hocking was born ca. 1897 in Kyneton, Victoria to Henry Hammond Le Croissette Hocking and Ruth Hamblin. Henry and Ruth were married in 1887 and had three  children: Daisy (b. 1888), Eva (b. 1892), and Fred Roy (b. 1897). Fred Hocking attended Bolinda School sometime between 1899 and 1913. He had been in cadets for four years  before enlisting in the armed forces in June 1915.

His first port of call was to Egypt where they remained for a couple of months before moving on to fight in Gallipoli in 1915  before again moving to France. While off the coast of Gallipoli, their ship, Southland, was torpedoed. The Southland is well-known as the first Australian troopship to be torpedoed. On 2 September 1915, at around 9.45am, the ship was attacked by German submarine UB14, under the command of Oberleutnant Heino von Heimburg. None of the  lookouts saw the submarine and the first anyone knew about the attack is when they spotted the torpedo making a bee-line for the ship. Fred was one of those who saw its wake.  According to Private Robert Norman of the 21st Battalion, the torpedo “struck us in No. 2 hold, just in front of the bridge. Luckily, the hold was full of coal, and that had a  lot to do with saving of the ship. I saw the coal and water fly up into the air about 30ft.” At least nine men died in that attack though Fred suggests it might have been closer to 50. In a letter to his father published in the Heidelberg News and Greensborough and Diamond Creek Chronicle, Fred describes the harrowing attack in fascinating detail.
While fighting in Noreuil in France in mid-1916, Fred suffered a severe gunshot wound to the left leg. He was evacuated to England to be treated in the County of London War  Hospital in Epsom. Fred remained in England having treatment on his leg for the rest of the war, perhaps working as a clerk. While in England, Fred met and fell in love with Olive  Lyla Sherrds from Balham, England. In January 1919 Fred and Olive married and six months later welcomed a son, Donald, into the family. Sometime in 1919 or 1920, Olive  relocated to Victoria, Australia while Frank remained in England. Regrettably, young Donald passed away ca. November 1920. Fred and Olive appear to have had more sons after  Donald’s passing. Frank embarked for Australia aboard the “Aeneas”, arriving in January 1920, and was discharged in April of that year. In 1983, Dr Alistair Thomson conducted an  interview with Fred. It’s a fascinating look back at his early life as well as his time in the war. If you wish to hear the stories from Fred himself, you can listen to the interview  at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C88161.

Upon Fred’s return to Australia and his discharge from the armed services, Fred and Olive moved to Ivanhoe. Fred was working as a supply officer’s secretary at the Australian  General Hospital in Mont Park, while Olive was involved in keeping the home. After working at the hospital for around three years, Fred went into business himself. He described  his business as a manufacturing agency with a bakery, broking, selling and machinery. In 1933, Fred made the local papers. He had been working as a motor car driver and was  charged with “having plied for hire within eight miles of Melbourne in a car that was not duly licensed.” He was further charged with “acting as a driver of a motor car which was  carrying passengers without being licensed for that purpose.” Fred argued that he was not acting as a for-hire motor car service but was acting under the instruction of his  employer who had arranged for him to transport certain people to a predetermined location. However, Fred was fined £1 on each of the two charges.

Olive remained at Ivanhoe Parade until her death in 1977 and Fred at least into the 1980s, possibly until his death ca. 1990

On the 70 anniversary of the allied victory at Villers Bretonneux the French government invited Mr Hocking to France and awarded him with a Legionn of Honour on 25 April 1988.