58765
FRANSON, Thomas Ernest Albert
| Service Numbers: | 4778, 7714 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 January 1916, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Semaphore, South Australia, Australia, 23 April 1883 |
| Home Town: | Exeter, Port Adelaide Enfield, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Woodville, South Australia, Australia, 8 September 1960, aged 77 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4778, 10th Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 4778, 10th Infantry Battalion, RMS Mongolia, Adelaide | |
| 9 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 4778, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Mongolia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1917: | Embarked Private, 7714, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Fremantle | |
| 29 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 7714, 11th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 7714, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 7714, 10th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Before the war
Thomas Ernest Albert Franson was born on the 23rd of April 1883. When he was born in Semaphore but later lived in Exeter, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He worked as a blacksmith and a miner until he enlisted. He enlisted to the AIF 10th battalion, 15th reinforcements on the 4th of January. At one point, he was married to Rachel Howlett, but they most likely had a divorce, as there are many other documents saying that he was single at the time of enlisting. His father’s name was Henry William Franson, and his mother’s name is unknown. He was one of eight children, he had four sisters and three brothers. These siblings included John Oyston Franson (1878-1965), Horace Waldemar Franson (1886-Unkown), Henry William Franson (Junior) (1876-1954), Caroline Violet Louisa Maria Franson (1885-1885), Ivy Victoria Adelaide Franson (1897-1982), Cora Margreth Ellen Franson (1889-1893), Mabel Andrea Franson (1880-1930). Mabel Andrea Franson, was Thomas’ next of kin. This means that she was the go-to person for when something happened to Thomas during the war. For example, when he deserted or fell ill, his sister, Mabel would have been notified. There are also other photos of documents saying that Mabel was getting a portion of Thomas’ pay, as she was unable to provide enough for a family of multiple children by herself.
During the war
Franson first enlisted on 4 January 1916 at Adelaide and was assigned to the 10th Battalion with the servie number 4778. However, after disembarking at Fremantle on the voyage overseas, he deserted. For whatever reason, he re-enlisted a year later on 28 February 1917, this time giving his name as Albert Franson and joining the 51st Battalion with service number 7714.
Franson arrved in England on 25 August 1917 and wa immediately admitted to hospital with influenza. While training in England through late 1917 and early 1918 he twice went AWL before finally joining his battalion in France in early March 1918. Two weeks later he was re-admitted to hospital with influenza in March 1918. He returned to duty on 2 May and, apart from another brief stay in hospital in June, served out the remainder of the war with the 51st Battalion. He left Europe to return to Australia in July 1919 and was discharged from the AIF in Adelaide on 21 September 1919.
After the war
The details of Franson's postwar life are not known. Thomas Ernest Albert Franson unfortunately passed away on the 8th of September 1960. At the time of his death, he lived in Woodville, South Australia, Australia.
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