GLEADHILL, Frederick William
| Service Number: | 2420 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 April 1916, Bathurst, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Blayney, New South Wales, Australia, 28 February 1898 |
| Home Town: | Blayney, Blayney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Woodstock Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farm Hand |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Passchendaele Ridge, Belgium, 20 October 1917, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
Dochy Farm New British Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cowra & District Great War Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Bathurst, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 2420, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' |
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| 24 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2420, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Anchises, Sydney | |
| 20 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2420, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Third Ypres |
Help us honour Frederick William Gleadhill's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Jérôme Hermans
Pte Frederick William Gleadhill 2420, 45th Bn
Two of his sisters died centenarians... He will never be 20... Frederick William Gleadhill
Frederick William Gleadhill is born 28th February 1898 in Blayney - New South Wales to George Gleadhill (1868-1947) and Mary Ann Ward (1877-1955).
He was the eldest of a large sibling of 7 children.
Frederick had 3 brothers - Ernest Alven (1903-1988) - Clarence George (1906-1975) - Herbert Harold (1911-???) and 3 sisters - Elsie Martha (1900-2000) - Eileen Ada Mary (1908-2010) - Hilda (1914-1931).
He was educated in the public school of Woodstock - New South Wales.
After his schooling, he worked as an agricultural worker on the farms around his town.
Frederick was barely 16 when the war broke out.
He therefore continued to share his life between work on the farm and the family home for a few months.
But at the beginning of 1916, the desire to respond to the call for volunteers to serve in the AIF was strongest and Frederick decided to enlist.
He presented himself a few weeks after his 18th birthday, 11th April 1916 at the recruiting office in Bathurst - New South Wales.
After having satisfied the medical visit, he took the direction of the training camps a basic military formation including in particular the use of the rifles and the light weapons.
He also learned to wear his uniform and to use the survival equipment provided to front line soldiers (first aid kit and gas mask).
He embarked 24th August 1916 from Sydney aboard HMAT Anchises as a Private in 45th Infantry Battalion.
After a stopover in Fremantle, Frederick took one last look at Australian soil and began a long crossing.
During the crossing, the men were subject to rigorous training directed by the officers and to chores (doing their laundry, cleaning the decks, helping in the kitchens).
To avoid boredom, the men also occupied their time in sporting contests.
They were also provided with 3 hearty meals each day to allow them to gain strength and prepare for the hardships of life at the front.
However, motion sickness and seasickness took their toll on these young men unaccustomed to travel and they arrived weaker than healthy.
He arrived in Egypt mid-September 1916 and took charge of the Maadi training camps.
The men followed weeks of training there in intense heat, running in the sand and digging trenches.
They then took the direction of Marseilles and from there, by railroad the way of the trenches of the North of France.
They were sent to the quiet sector of Sailly-Sur-la-Lys where the men acclimatized to trench work in muddy ground where the earthen constructions did not last long and where the shell holes quickly filled with water and mud, therefore not representing shelters during attacks.
After alternating between periods in the front line and periods behind the front during the beginning of 1917, the men experienced their first major battle.
Frederick took part in the Battle of Bullecourt in early May 1917 and survived without injury.
The battalion was then sent to the rear for rest and reorganization before being redirected into the Ypres Salient to take part in the Third Ypres Campaign.
He was engaged in the attacks on Menen Road in September and on Brooseinde Ridge in early October.
Frederick will be killed in action while on the front line 20th October 1917.
He was 19 years old.
He now rests in peace in Dochy Farm Military Cemetery.
Biography
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