Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of F L MORTER, Supreme Court, Adelaide, SA

Elected President of the Registered Tax Agents' Association of South Australian Incorporated on September 24th 1943.

Frederick Kerr Morter was born in 1896 in London, England, to Frederick Luther Morter and Janet Kerr Morter. The family immigrated to Australia in March 1897. He grew up in Adelaide, South Australia with his sister Olive Jean and brother Luther Howchin, attending Adelaide Gilles Street Primary School and later Adelaide High School. Before the First World War, Frederick worked as a Clerk. At the age of nineteen, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the 20th of January 1916, following his brother who enlisted a year earlier, on the 14th of September 1915 and served in the 6th Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) on the Western Front.

About two weeks later, on the 1st of February, Frederick became a private and started training. He went from C Company 2nd Depot in an unknown location, to C Company 1st Depot in Eton, Queensland on the 16th of February, then F Company 2nd Depot Battalion of AIF, training from the same day to the 21st of February. Then on the 16th of August, Frederick progressed into field artillery training as a sergeant in a provisional company. A month later, he moved to the main AIF field artillery reinforcements training camp in Australia. Located in Maribyrnong, the camp conducted advanced training on artillery guns and horse teams to prepare soldiers for service.

After Frederick's training in Maribyrnong, he joined the 25th battery of the 7th FAB and was promoted to acting sergeant on the 12th of October. About two weeks later, on the 25th of October, Frederick embarked on HMAT A38 Ulysses in Melbourne, destination Plymouth, England. During the training aboard the ship, he continued to act as Sergeant before disembarking Ulysses on the 28th of December.

He marched into the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery (RBAA) Larkhill Camp 21, the primary training area for the AIF, in Wiltshire, England and reverted to the rank of Gunner on the 29th of December.

Frederick was attached to the permanent staff of RBAA within the 25th battery of 7th FAB, promoted to Temporary Sergeant in a permanent cadre of RBAA, and later reverted to gunner in the same day he marched into Larkhill Camp 4th October 1917.

Frederick proceeded overseas to France through Southampton on the 4th of October 1917. Once in France, Frederick marched into the Artillery General Base Depot (AGBD) in Rouelles on the next day.

Four days later, Frederick marched out the AGBD to the 3rd Division Artillery. Then on the 12th of October, he was taken on strength of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade.

Frederick was hospitalised for a sickness on the 1st of December. He was admitted to the 9th Australian Field (AF) Ambulance with Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO). After six days in the field ambulance, Frederick was transferred to the Divisional Rest Station (DRS) then admitted to the 10th AF Ambulance with trench fever later that day. He spent about a week there before transferring to the 6th AF Ambulance on the 15th of December with the same diagnosis. Frederick finally rejoined the battle with the 7th FAB on the 29th of December.

About five months later, Frederick was hospitalised once again for a sickness on the 23rd of May 1918. He was admitted to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) with papilloma of the penis. After three days, he was transferred to the 53rd CCS with the same diagnosis. He then was admitted to the 3rd general hospital with diagnosis Not Yet Determined (NYD) in Le Harve on the 11th of June. After about two weeks in the hospital, he was discharged to the AGBD with non-venereal papilloma on the 26th of June. Later that day, he was admitted to the 39th general hospital. And finally, a week later, he was transferred to his unit and rejoined the battle on the 8th of July 1918.

About five months later, Frederick was granted leave to the United Kingdom on the 21st of October 1918. After about two weeks of leave, he was admitted to a hospital ward in Bulford on the 6th of November. He was discharged on the 30th of December.

Later that day, Frederick marched into the Winchester camp complex from Bulford. These camps were for training, transit, and hospitalisation. About a week later, he broke camp on the 8th of January 1919. He then was returned to Australia on HMHS Delta form Devonport to Melbourne on the 24th of January due to being medically unfit with dental issues. He disembarked the Delta in Adelaide on the 5th of March.

After the First World War, Frederick took on a job as a licensed land broker and resigned on the 27th of April 1933 as stated in The South Australian Government Gazette, 27 Apr 1933. He later worked as a Tax Agent.

He married Eileen May Morter (nee Travers) in 1942. Their marriage announcement in The Advertiser, Adelaide SA, Sat 7 Nov 1942 says, 'On November 6, at St. Chads Church, Eileen M., daughter of late Mr. and Mrs. Joe Travers, [was married] to Frederick K., son of Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Morter, of 11 Thornber St., Unley Park.'

Frederick passed away in 1956 at the age of 59. After his death, Eileen joined the Legacy Club of Adelaide. She died on the 5th of November 1985 at 89 years old and was buried with her husband.