Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

#4801 GOSMAN Frederick Charles    15th Battalion
 
Frederick Gosman was born at Nudgee to parents Charles and Letitia Gosman. As a boy he attended Ithaca State School before the family moved to Ipswich where Frederick was apprenticed to a Mr Morris who was a bootmaker.
 
By the outbreak of the First World War, Frederick had begun working as a farm labourer in the South Burnett. Fred travelled to Brisbane accompanied by three other young men from the Kingaroy district; Charles Davey, Thomas Gates, and Theodore Tomlinson where all four enlisted on 21st September 1915.
 
All four were allocated to the 15th draft of reinforcements for the 15th Battalion at Enoggera. On 28th March 1916, the reinforcements boarded the “Commonwealth” in Brisbane for overseas service. During the expansion of the AIF in Egypt in the early months of 1916, the 15th Battalion was redesignated as part of the 4th brigade of the 4th Division AIF.
 
By the time the reinforcements arrived in Egypt in May 1916, all of the Australian battalions that made up the newly expanded AIF had already left, or were about to leave for the Western Front, and were at full strength. With no immediate need for reinforcements, the 15th reinforcements re-embarked at Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast and sailed for the 4th Training Battalion in England. The 4th Training Battalion supplied reinforcements for the 4th Brigade of the AIF; of which the 15th Battalion was part. The four friends were still together while training at Codford
 
On the Western Front in August and September 1916, the 15th Battalion was heavily involved in the battles at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, suffering significant casualties. The reinforcements in England were shipped to France via the British Depot at Etaples to bring the battalion back to full strength. Frederick and his three friends were taken on by the 15th Battalion on 4th October 1916. While in in winter quarters, Frederick developed a serious cough. After reporting to a field ambulance on 30th November, he was sent to hospital in Etaples where he was diagnosed with bronchitis. Frederick was evacuated to the Norfolk War Hospital in Norwich on 17th December 1916. In January of the new year, Frederick was transferred to the 1st Australian Hospital at Wareham to recover.
 
Frederick was discharged to the Australian Infantry Depot at Codford where he remained until 22nd May when he boarded a cross channel ferry at Southampton for deployment back to his unit. He marched in to the 15th Battalion on 12th June 1917.
 
The battle of Messines had begun five days before Frederick arrived and even though the 15th was involved in attacks against the Messines Ridge during the first week, it is unlikely that Frederick was involved. The 4thBrigade continued to rotate in and out of the line at Messines, Ploegsteert and Warneton as the British forces began to consolidate their gains.
While in the line, enemy artillery was a constant threat and much of the work such as carrying water and rations had to be done at night.
 
On 3rd September, Frederick reported to a field ambulance with an undiagnosed fever resulting in his evacuation to the Australian Hospital at Harefield. Frederick’s file simply records that he was diagnosed PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin). Frederick was back with his battalion on the last day of November 1917. The battalion at that time was in comfortable billets around Poperinghe enjoying a prolonged period of rest, sports and most welcome baths with the chance for clean underwear and uniforms.
 
IN the last months of 1917, the situation on the Western Front had developed rapidly. The German forces, bolstered by almost 60 divisions of troops released from the Eastern Front, staged a rapid advance on the western front, and in particular against the British 5th Army that was holding the line along the Somme River valley. Within days of the launch of Operation Michael on 21st March 1918, the gains made by the British and Australians on the Somme in 1916 were retaken, the 5th Army retreated in disarray, and the city of Amiens was threatened. If the city fell, the British would be cut off from their French allies and the Germans could march on Paris and win the war.
 
In a desperate move to protect Amiens, General Douglas Haig rushed four of the five AIF divisions that were in Belgium south to take up defensive positions astride the Somme. The 15th Battalion, as part of the 4thbrigade AIF was one of the first units to arrive at the Amiens defensive line and by 26th March was holding the line at Hebeuterne. The 15th Battalion continued to hold the line at Hebuterne through out April while the German advance was finally halted at Villers Bretonneux, within German artillery range of Amiens. In order to disrupt any further German incursions, the Australian Major General John Monash ordered his frontline troops to actively harass the enemy by active night patrols and trench raids; the so called “peaceful penetration.”
 
Throughout April and May, the 15th Battalion, as part of the 4th brigade of the 4th Division AIF, engaged in constant night patrols and strengthening defences at Hebeuterne and Villers Bretonneux. On 1st June 1918, Monash was promoted to Lieutenant General and was given command of the entire Australian Corps of five divisions. He immediately began planning a counterattack with the troops at his disposal. Just north of Villers Bretonneux above the village of Hamel, the Germans occupied a series of trenches and observation posts which provided a commanding view of the British and Australian lines.
 
Monash’s planning for the Battle of Hamel was meticulous. For a week before the attack, the Australian artillery pounded the German positions at around 3:00am every morning. The barrage was a combination of high explosive, gas and smoke. The defenders would put on gas masks and retreat to their underground bunkers. On the day of the attack, 4th April 1918, the artillery fired its normal shoot at 3:10 am but dispensed with the gas shells in favour of additional smoke. As the troops from the 2nd and 4th Divisions of the AIF advanced following the creeping barrage, tanks and aircraft joined the battle. Many enemy troops were captured still in their bunkers wearing gas masks. Monash had allowed 90 minutes for the objectives to be taken; and it was achieved in 93. Although only a limited engagement, Hamel became the blueprint for much larger battles to come that would hasten the end of the war.
 
The 15th battalion’s objective in the battle was Pear Trench and they were accompanied by 200 men from the 132nd Regiment of the Illinois National Guard as they moved out. During the attack, Frederick received a serious gunshot wound. The battle plan included allowance for casualties to be taken quickly from the battlefield and so Frederick was taken by stretcher bearers to the 4th Field Ambulance and then on to the 5thCasualty Clearing Station at Crouy. Another Kumbia man from the 15th Battalion, Edmund Coulson had been wounded at Hamel and taken to the 5th CCS. Edmund died of his wounds on 9th July and was buried at the Crouy Military cemetery. Frederick died of his wounds the following day and was also buried in the Crouy Military Cemetery.
 
Frederick’s parents received a parcel of his personal effects which included a mirror, tobacco pouch, opera glasses and a broken wristwatch. They chose the following inscription for their son’s headstone: IN MEMORY OF THE LOVED SON OF MR & MRS CHAS E GOSMAN IPSWICH.
 
Of the four young men from Kumbia who enlisted together in September 1915, only Theodore Tomlinson would survive the war; although in the course of the war he was wounded twice, gassed and repatriated early back to Australia having been awarded the Military Medal.