BOYLE, Francis Arthur
| Service Number: | 4676 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Warwick, Queensland, Australia, 2 September 1878 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Warwick & Brisbane Schools, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Commercial Traveller |
| Died: | Wounds, War Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, England , 31 December 1916, aged 38 years |
| Cemetery: |
Guildford (Stoke) Old Cemetery, Surrey, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 4676, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 4676, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney |
Help us honour Francis Arthur Boyle's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 31st December…… Francis Arthur Boyle was born at Warwick, Queensland on 2nd September, 1878.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 18th January, 1916 as a 37 year old, single, Commercial Traveller from (care of) L. W. Burt, Box 1934, G.P.O. Sydney, NSW.
Private Francis Arthur Boyle, Service number 4676, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Ceramic (A40) on 13th April, 1916 with the 17th Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcements. He embarked on 28th May, 1916 from H.M.T. Megantic from Alexandria & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 7th June, 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 10th September, 1916 Private Boyle proceeded overseas to France from 5th Training Battalion in England. He was taken on strength with his Battalion in Belgium on 24th September, 1916 from 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot.
He reported sick on 6th October, 1916 & was admitted to 2nd A. D.R.S. (Australian Divisional Rest Station) with Bronchitis. He returned to duty on 9th October, 1916 but was admitted to New Zealand Casualty Clearing Station on 17th October, 1916 with Scabies. He rejoined his Battalion on 20th October, 1916.
Private Francis Arthur Boyle was wounded in action in France on 10th November, 1916. He was admitted to 15th Australian Field Ambulance with gunshot wounds to head. He was then transferred to 36th Casualty Clearing Station then admitted to 2nd General Hospital at Havre, France on 30th November, 1916. Pte Boyle was transferred to Hospital Ship Formosa for England on 3rd December, 1916.
He was admitted to Guildford War Hospital, Surrey, England on 4th December, 1916 with gunshot wounds to head.
According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – “but while my son was in hospital in England, he informed a friend that he was wounded in the head by a sniper’s bullet, while making observations under orders from his Corporal.”
Private Francis Arthur Boyle died at 4.30 pm on 31st December, 1916 at War Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, England from wounds received in action - Cerebral Hernia (gunshot wounds to forehead).
He was buried on 2nd January, 1917, according to the Burial records for Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, in Stoughton Cemetery, (now referred to as Stoke Old Cemetery), Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey, England – Plot number G. 356 and has a Private Headstone. (His Casualty Form – Active Service records that he was buried on 4th January, 1917.) Private Francis Arthur Boyle’s death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/guildford.html
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