STRONG, Frederick Harold
| Service Number: | 6844 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 September 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company) |
| Born: | Chewton, Victoria, Australia, 1890 |
| Home Town: | Kalgoorlie, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Timber cutter |
| Memorials: | Kalgoorlie Central School Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Sep 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 6844, Tunnelling Companies | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 6844, Tunnelling Companies, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Omrah embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 17 Jan 1917: | Embarked Sapper, 6844, Tunnelling Companies, RMS Omrah, Melbourne | |
| 23 May 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company), Belgium | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 6844, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company), Battle of Messines | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 6844, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company), Third Ypres, Multiple GSW. Evacuated to UK. Rejoined unit January 1918. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Originally from Chewton, Freddie Strong was a 26 year old timber cutter working near Kalgoorlie when he enlisted in the AIF on 13 September 1916. He was assigned to the Tunnelling Companies reinforcements and embarked for England on 17 January 1917. Within a month, he was in Belgium where he joined the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, operating near Ypres, as a Sapper on 23 May 1917.
British and Canadian tunnellers had been digging numerous tunnels and galleries under the German held Messines Ridge for almost two years, until the Australian tunnellers relieved the Canadians in late 1916. This vital high ground was heavily defended, and the British plan was to compile in secret, and then detonate, up to 24 large mines under the German lines.
Tunnelling was nerve-wracking and unglamorous work that carried a very real risk of being buried alive. The Australians’ main task was to protect the explosives galleries and deceive the German tunnellers trying to locate the mines, including those under Hill 60. The Australians performed well and at 3.10am on 7 June 1917, 19 of the mines were detonated. They produced the largest man-made explosion ever seen to that point in history.
The resultant blast killed around 10,000 German soldiers outright, and the allies advanced and captured Messines Ridge later that day.
In September 1917, Freddie sustained several gunshot wounds and was evacuated to England. He rejoined his unit in January 1918 and was involved in repairing roads and bridges, exploding enemy booby traps and excavating dugouts for the remainder of the war.
Freddie was granted leave to England in March 1919, however overstayed his leave by seven weeks and received 40 days' detention. The reason for Freddie’s behaviour soon became clear as he married an English girl not long after his release.
Freddie eventually returned to Australia with his wife and a child in April 1920.
Robert Wight, March 2024
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