Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Oscar Frederick Zanker served in the Australian Imperial Force or AIF during World War One (WW1). He was born in 1892 in Freeling, South Australia (SA), located 60 kilometres north of Adelaide. He later moved to the district near Laura. 

After graduating from Laura Public School at the age of 18 he became a steam engine driver before the war. He was 22 years of age when WW1 broke out and Australia declared war on Germany in August of 1914. He was an early enlister, travelling to Oaklands [VC1] in Adelaide to enlist in early December the same year. Zanker had no previous military history or service prior to his enlistment. His mother who lived at Maitland on the Yorke Peninsula was listed as his next of kin.

Despite enlisting on 2 December 1914, Zanker did not embark for active service for another three months due to training. On 10 February 1915 he departed from Melbourne with the 10th Infantry Battalion onboard the HMAT Runic. The 10th Battalion sailed for Egypt to train for warfare, arriving in Alexandria in late December.

Egypt is where most Australian troops arrived first to train. During his time in the 10th Battalion, Zanker fought at Gallipoli (Turkey) briefly after the Australian landing at ANZAC Cove on April 25, 1915. Not much is recorded about his specific engagement in the campaign. However, he was entitled to wear the A insignia over his unit patch. which officially acknowledged those who fought during this difficult 8-month campaign.

Military records also showed that Zanker was then taken on strength to the 50th Infantry Battalion on 26 February 1916 after the failed Gallipoli campaign had finished. 

The Western Front was where Zanker would spend most of his time fighting mainly in the 50th Battalion. The Western Front would be the main area of conflict for WW1. The 50th, and so Zanker, fought its first major battle at Mouquet Farm, Northern France. The ANZACs suffered very heavy casualties. Early in 1917, the 50th Battalion participated in an advance that followed a German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, a German defensive stronghold.

However, in May 1917, Zanker was transferred to the 70th Battalion before he could do any more fighting. The 70th was stationed in England for training as part of a plan to create a 6th AIF Division. However, it would never see combat and was disbanded. Zanker had been removed from the Western Front and would not see extended combat in the future. Apart from ongoing training and awaiting orders, he became unwell twice around this time.

In September of 1917 he rejoined the 50th Battalion to reinforce his old unit at the Battle of Polygon Wood, which lasted from 26 September to 3 October. Fortunately for Zanker, he only endured the fighting for around two days, as he only returned to his unit from hospitalisation on 1 October.

The German Spring offensive saw the Germans try to break the stalemate of the Western Front by pushing through the Allied lines on March 21. A series of battles continued until July 18. The first fighting occurred in northern France in Arras. The 50th Battalion continued pushing the German line back and fought in the 2nd Battle of Villers-Bretonneux where it seems Zanker only fought for a day in northeastern French village, Villers Bretonneux while it was being bombarded by German artillery. On April 26th he was hospitalised with a sprained ankle. The ANZACs contribution to this battle earned them praise and they continued to force a German retreat.

The 50th Battalion continued to play an active role during the Allies own counter offensive launched on 8 August 1918. Its last major operation of the war was the attack on the Hindenburg "outpost line" on 18 September. Zanker’s time on the Western Front ended in September, once again hospitalised due to wounds sustained in action on September 11. He rejoined the 50th on 26 September, 8 days after the battalion was no longer in the fight.

Zanker was discharged at the end of 1918, after the Great War had finally finished on the 11th hour of the 11th day of November that year. He was entitled to a 1914/15 star for enlisting at the start of the war in 1914. His rank always remained private throughout the entirety of the war. After WW1 he returned to Australia and lived in SA. Then almost 20 years later, when World War 2 broke out, he enlisted again to fight with the new breed of ANZACs in WW2.   

 
 
 
Bibliography
“Details.” Www.aif.adfa.edu.au, www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=335370. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

“Oscar Frederick Zanker.” Www.awm.gov.au,

www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1897112?image=1. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

“Session Manager.” Recordsearch.naa.gov.au, recordsearch.naa.gov.au/.

“50th Infantry Battalion.” Vwma.org.au, vwma.org.au/explore/units/6. Accessed 2 June2021.