Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick John Bunn was born in Grimsby, England sometime in October 1894, however fought for the Australian Imperial Force. Bunn was a plumber for J.R. Cole Plumbing (located in Lincolnshire, England) and had been working there for around six years. He moved to Norwood, South Australia, however his unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales.

Frederick was five-foot, eight and-a-half inches tall, weighing at one-hundred and forty pounds. He had a medium complexion, with blue eyes and dark hair. His next of Kin was his mother, Mrs. Sarah Bunn (Who lived at 12 Wellesley Street, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England). His unit was the 3rd Field Company Engineers, Reinforcement 14 (14/22/3). His unit embarked on January the 20th, 1916 aboard the HMAT A54 Runic from Sydney, New South Wales.

Each Division had three Field Engineer Companies under command, numbered the same as the Brigades of the Division. The First Division thus had the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Field Company of Engineers on strength. During WW1 the Engineers undertook tasks divided into mobility, counter mobility and construction as well as survey and mapping, and specialised tunnelling and mining operations. The Field Companies' works concentrated on the former rather than the latter.

They undertook a broad range of tasks including preparation and supervision of the construction of defensive and gun positions, excavation of trenches and dug-outs, erection of wire and other jobs tackled preparation of command posts, signalling and water supply, field engineering, road and bridge construction and route maintenance.  They also undertook obstacle breaching and crossing. For example, in the lead up to the attack at Mont St Quentin the Engineers were forced to carry out two river crossing/bridging operations. Engineers also had responsibility for signalling although this function became more specialised as the war progressed, eventually leading to the creation of a separate Signals Corps. 

Frederick’s service number was 5697, and according to the NAA (National Archives of Australia) he had quite a time during WW1. On the 30th of September, 1916, Bunn was transferred to Mitcham Camp as a Sapper until the 3rd of November, 1916. A Sapper (which can also be called a pioneer or a combat engineer) is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties such as breaching, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, field defences as well as building, road and airfield construction and repair.

On the 9th of December, 1916, Frederick was wounded in action and transferred by ship (the H.S. Western Australia) to England where he was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley, a military hospital near Southampton on the 16th of December, 1916. Frederick had suffered seven G.S.W. (general shraphnel wounds); one on his Left Arm, one on his Right Wrist, and the other five were on his head. It doesn’t state how these injuries occurred, however his brigade were entering France at the time, therefore, his company may have been doing engineering work on the trenches near the front line and he was caught in crossfire. After recovering for about fifteen weeks, he was transferred on the 28th of March, 1917 to the 16th F.C.E. (Field Company Engineers). Then on the 11th of October, 1917, he was taken on strength from the 16th F.C.E. to the 1st Army Troop. This all happened in England in preparation for his return to the war in France, which occurred on the 17th of November, 1917. On the 19th of April, 1919, Frederick Bunn was missing in action for 84 days after contracting an infection.

On the 26th of October, 1919, Frederick was discharged in London, England from the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) when the army was demobilised after the war. After being discharged, instead of going home back to Australia, he went to his home town in Grimsby, England. Bunn had served for four years and forty-four days, three years, two-hundred-and-eighty of those were served overseas. He was twenty-five years, eleven months old by the end of the war.

Frederick was awarded three medals for his participation during the war. The British War Medal 1914-20 was instituted by King George V in 1919 to mark the end of World War I and record the service given. Bunn had received the medal for Entered theatres of war during specified periods or left places of residence and rendered approved service overseas

He was also awarded the Victory Medal. The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. Each of the Allied nations issued a ‘Victory Medal’ to their own nationals. Each nation used the standard ribbon but used different designs on the medal to reflect national identity and custom. A number had the figure of Victory on the obverse. Australians were awarded the medal issued by Great Britain. The Victory Medal was awarded to prescribed classes of persons who entered a theatre of war on duty between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.

And also the 1914-15 Star. The 1914–15 Star was authorised in 1918 and was awarded for service in specified theatres of war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915.