Frederick George SHINN

Badge Number: 72733, Sub Branch: St Peters, SA
72733

SHINN, Frederick George

Service Number: 12822
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Not yet discovered
Last Unit: 11th Field Ambulance
Born: Tottenham, Middlesex, date not yet discovered
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Motor Mechanic
Died: 12 March 1930, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered
Cemetery: St George's Church of England Cemetery, Magill, S.A.
Memorials: Adelaide Grand Masonic Lodge WW1 Honour Board (2), Magill Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

31 May 1916: Involvement 12822, 11th Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
31 May 1916: Embarked 12822, 11th Field Ambulance, HMAT Suevic, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, 12822

Help us honour Frederick George Shinn's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School

Fredrick George Shinn was born in Tottenham, Middlesex, and was 29 years  old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on June 19th,1915, in Keswick, South Australia. He was the son of Lucy Shinn and married to Bessie Shinn. Before enlisting on 19th July 1915, Shinn had served for three years with the 8th Middlesex Regiment.

At enlistment, his physical description listed him as being 5 feet 2.5 inches tall (1.59 m), weighing 155 pounds (70.31kg), and with a chest measurement of approximately 35 to 37 inches (88.9 to 94.0 cm). He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His religion was recorded as Church of England, and his occupation before enlistment was a motor mechanic, which led to him being assigned the rank of a driver in the Motor Transport division. Shinn embarked from the Outer Harbour, Adelaide, aboard the HMAT service Suevic on May 31st, 1916, to serve overseas.

He disembarked at Devonport, England 21st July 1916. Shinn proceeded to France 25th November 1916. He served with the 11th Field Ambulance in France during 1917 and 1918.  He took some leave in the UK from 26th December 1917 - 10th January 1918.

On the 18th of August 1918, when he was admitted into the hospital in France, suffering from Pleurisy and gastritis. After his condition worsened, he was then transferred to the United Kingdom and admitted into the 1st Birmingham War hospital on August 24th, 1918, for further treatment. After a period of medical treatment and recovery, he was declared medically fit to return to Australia, where he embarked on the Nestor and disembarked on February 15th, 1919. On March 24th, 1919, he was discharged from the A.I.F. He had completed 3 years and 249 days of service. 

Fredrick George Shinn passed away at the age of 42 and was laid to rest in the Saint George’s Cemetery, Magill, South Australia. Many years later, his wife, Bessie Shinn, passed away on the 29th of August 1980, alongside her husband.

Reference list

Frederick George SHINN n.d., Virtual War Memorial , viewed 9 September 2025, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/292927>.

Frederick George Shinn 2025, Awm.gov.au, viewed 12 September 2025, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1913164?image=1>.

Frederick George Shinn (1887-1930) - Find a Grave... 2024, Findagrave.com, viewed 23 Summer 2025, <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/277649729/frederick_george-shinn>.

Memories 2018, Memories.net, Memories, viewed 18 September 2025, <https://app.memories.net/memorials/fredericgeorge-shinn-78699>.

Terrace, V n.d., National Archives of Australia, Naa.gov.au, viewed 9 September 2025, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8082640>.

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