ROBERTSON, Frank Duncan
| Service Number: | 27244 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 May 1916, Scottish Rifles 10 months |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 1st Divisional Ammunition Column |
| Born: | Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia, July 1893 |
| Home Town: | Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Public School, Junee & Grammar School, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Station storekeeper |
| Died: | Drowning, Lambeth Bridge, River Thames, London, England, United Kingdom, 4 April 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Plot IV, Row J, Grave No. 4 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mosman St Kirk Presbyterian Church Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 15 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 27244, 7th Field Artillery Brigade, Scottish Rifles 10 months | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1916: | Involvement Driver, 27244, 7th Field Artillery Brigade, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 30 Sep 1916: | Embarked Driver, 27244, 7th Field Artillery Brigade, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 30 Mar 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column | |
| 4 Apr 1919: | Involvement Driver, 27244, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 27244 awm_unit: 1st Australian Divisional Ammunition Column awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1919-04-04 |
Help us honour Frank Duncan Robertson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 4th April……Frank Duncan Robertson was born in 1893 at “Bethungra” Park, Illabo, near Junee, New South Wales.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 15th May, 1916 as a 22 year old Station Storekeeper from Mosman, Sydney, NSW.
Driver Frank Duncan Robertson, Service number 27244, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Aeneas (A60) on 30th September, 1916 with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Reinforcements & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 19th November, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On arriving in England Driver Robertson was posted to Australian Artillery Training Depot at Parkhouse, Wiltshire, England. He was transferred on 18th December, 1916 & was posted to Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery at Larkhill, Wiltshire.
He proceeded overseas to France on 15th March, 1917 & was posted to A.G.B.D. (Australian General Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 16th March, 1917. Driver Robertson was transferred to 1st Divisional Artillery at Etaples on 23rd March, 1917 & was taken on strength of 1st D.A.C. (Divisional Artillery Column) in France on 24th March, 1917.
Driver Robertson was on Leave to Paris from 7th January, 1918 & rejoined his Unit from Leave on 17th January, 1918.
On 20th January, 1918 he was detached to 1st F.A.B. (Field Artillery Brigade) for duty & rejoined his Unit from detachment on 3rd February, 1918.
He was on Leave to England from 25th February, 1918 & rejoined his Unit from Leave on 13th March, 1918.
Driver Robertson was detached for duty at Ross Dump from 26th March, 1918 & he rejoined his Unit from detachment on 3rd April, 1918.
He was reported to still be with his Unit on 8th December, 1918 (This was usually noted on Casualty Form – Active Service when no movements or activity had been recorded for several months).
On 24th February, 1919 Driver Robertson was on Leave to UK from France until 12th March, 1919. He was granted additional Leave from 18th March, 1919 to 18th June, 1919 with Pay & Subsistence. Reason: Ironmongery. Attending: W. J. Woodrow, Market House, Brandon, Suffolk. (After the War ended there were only a finite number of ships that were available to return the Troops back to Australia. Soldiers were offered the opportunity to stay in England for a while to learn a trade).
Driver Frank Duncan Robertson was found drowned in River Thames on 21st April, 1919.
An Inquest was held into the death of Driver Frank Duncan Robertson (please see full research following link below to see copy of Inquest & transcripts of a newspaper items)
His cause of death was recorded as “Suicide whilst temporarily insane” on 4th April, 1919.
The following was recorded on the Casualty Form – Active Service in Driver Frank Duncan Robertson’s Service Record file: “The above named soldier is believed to have committed suicide or to have fallen from Lambeth Bridge about 4.30 am on the 4th inst. This soldier’s overcoat, haversack, Aust. Hat & pkt book are in possession of A.P.M. London & found by a postman: W. Brown, 75 Hartington Rd., Sth Lambeth. This man, about the time stated, heard a splash in water etc.” Driver Robertson was on Non Military Employment Leave in UK.
Driver Frank Duncan Robertson was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 364 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/r.html
Click images to start slideshow.