OATES, Frederick Ernest
| Service Number: | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 21st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hotham, Victoria, Australia, 8 December 1880 |
| Home Town: | North Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | North Melbourne Public School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Commercial traveller |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Flers, France, 6 November 1916, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Burial Ground, Grass Lane, Flers Plot VII, Row D, Grave No. I, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1983, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
| 26 Aug 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Melbourne | |
| 12 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 8 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm | |
| 2 Nov 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 21st Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 1983, 21st Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1983 awm_unit: 21st Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-11-06 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Peter Sunners
Frederick Ernest Oates was born in Hotham, Victoria in December 1880. He was the youngest son of John Rickard Oates and Rebecca Shove who were married in Ballarat, Victoria in December 1869. They had eight children. In 1901 Fred married Mary Abigail Knight and they had two children; John Rickard, born in 1903 and Frederick Ernest, born in 1905. The marriage ended in divorce.
Fred's brother, Albert started the Oates Broom Factory which is at Reservoir in Victoria and now a multi-million dollar company. It was still in the family until 2005 when it was sold. It was run by Jim and Geoff Oates who were sons of Edgar Oates, Albert's son. The original factory was in North Melbourne. Apparently all the Oates brothers lived in North Melbourne within walking distance of each other. Fred worked in the company where he was shown as a Commercial Traveller. In the early days there was a fire at the factory which destroyed everything but this did not deter them and they soon rebuilt.
"OATES.- Killed in action in France, November 6, Corporal Frederick Ernest Oates, A.I.F., 21st Battalion, 6th Brigade, Machine Gun Section, dearly loved youngest son of R. Oates, 45 Erskine street, North Melbourne, loved father of Jack and Eric, and brother of J. G. A. and W. Oates, Mrs. W. Harrison, and Mrs. J. Tidd."
OATES. - A tribute to the memory of our old comrade and fellow worker, Corporal Fred Oates, Machine Gun Section, killed in action on November 6, 1916. He died as he lived - "a soldier and a man." - (Inserted by employees Albert Oates and Co.)" - The Argus, Melbourne, Saturday, 9 Dec 1916
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