RICE, Frederick James
| Service Number: | 2389 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Perry, Queensland, Australia, 14 April 1888 |
| Home Town: | Mount Perry, North Burnett, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 15 February 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Warlencourt British Cemetery Hexham Road Cemetery Memorial I. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bundaberg War Memorial, Miara, Waterloo & Yandaran Roll of Honor, Mount Perry Shire of Perry Roll of Honor, Mount Perry War Memorial, Waterloo Memorial Cairn Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2389, 26th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 2389, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 2389, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Brisbane | |
| 15 Feb 1917: | Involvement Private, 2389, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2389 awm_unit: 12th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-02-15 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Frederick James Rice was the youngest of four sons of John and Maria Rice of Mount Perry, Queensland who enlisted during WW1. The father died in 1899, leaving a widowed Maria to raise seven children. She lost three sons to the war, receiving the news of all their deaths during 1917.
The local newspaper reported “Mrs. J. Rice, of Mt. Perry, has been advised that her son, Private Fred J. Rice, was killed in action on February 15. He was the youngest of four sons who are on active service in France. One of the other sons, Private John Rice, has been missing since last September. The deceased was only married on the eve of his departure for service abroad. It is worthy of mention that the four brothers, all highly esteemed young men, and occupying good positions, enlisted early in the war.”
Frederick was married to Amelia Maud Allen on 7 September 1915, less than one month before he embarked for overseas. He became a father when overseas in Egypt during February 1916. He was wounded in action in France during November 1916, with shell shock and shell splinters to the face, but was not out of action for long.
He was killed near Warlencourt in France, on a day in which the enemy sent a large number of pineapple bombs into the trenches manned by the 12th Battalion. Originally buried in the Hexham Road Cemetery at Le Sars, these graves were relocated during 1927.
His wife and infant daughter, who he never got to see, both received pensions from the Government.
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