CHIGWIDDEN, Frederick James
| Service Numbers: | 1675, R1675 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Broken Hill Old Burke Ward Boys Roll of Honor, Broken Hill South Mine Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1675, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 1675, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, R1675, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Bulla embarkation_ship_number: A45 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, R1675, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Bulla, Adelaide |
Frederick James Chigwidden
Birth: Broken Hill, NSW Australia 1893
Fred Chigwidden was a butcher by trade and unmarried when he enlisted at Keswick (Adelaide) on 7 May 1915. He left Australia in June 1915 with 2nd reinforcements of 27th Battalion AIF.
The battalion landed on Gallipoli in September 1915 but by then Frederick had been sent back to Australia on medical grounds. In June 1916 and finally found fit, Chigwidden embarked with 13th reinforcements and disembarked at Plymouth, UK on 24 August 1916.
He re-joined 27th Battalion in Belgium on 17 October 1916 but was evacuated from France to Richmond Military Hospital in July 1917 with Trench Fever. Out of hospital, Fred was twice admonished for being AWOL and re-hospitalised at Bulford in September 1917 and again December 1917 to February 1918. Finally back to France in April 1918 he saw out the war with his battalion at Morlancourt, Hamel and the Hindenburg Line battles.
Discharged in Australia in August 1919 Fred returned to Broken Hill and married Doris May Unwin in 1923. Both spent the rest of their lives in Broken Hill. Doris died in January 1956 and Frederick died in December 1961.
His name appears on the Roll of Honour 1914-1918 for South Mine Broken Hill.
Submitted 4 June 2018 by Mike Golder