Frank Rodney HOWARD MID

HOWARD, Frank Rodney

Service Number: 436
Enlisted: 20 September 1914, Meekatharra, Western Australia
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born: Echuca, Victoria, Australia, 14 March 1890
Home Town: Echuca, Campaspe, Victoria
Schooling: Echuca, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Baker
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 2 September 1915, aged 25 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Echuca War Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing
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World War 1 Service

20 Sep 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 436, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Meekatharra, Western Australia
22 Dec 1914: Involvement Private, 436, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
22 Dec 1914: Embarked Private, 436, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne
2 Sep 1915: Involvement Sergeant, 436, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 436 awm_unit: 16 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1915-09-02

Frank Rodney Howard

Frank’s parents were William and Emma Howard of Echuca, Victoria. William and Emma had 7 children. They were Esther Mary (known as Ettie) (b 31 May1878); William James (b 2 May 1880); Rosa Nixon (b 31 May 1882); Elsie Emma (b 9 January 1885); Minnie Victoria (b 23 July 1888); Frank Rodney (b 14 March 1890); Raymond Septimus (b 13 February 1893).
Brothers William and Frank left Echuca for Meekatharra, in Western Australia, where William owned a bakery and Frank was employed by his brother.

Frank enlisted on 20 September 1914 at Meekatharra, WA as a Private with the 16th Battalion, E Company. The until embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on 22 December 1914.

Extract from a letter written by Private H. Mortimer to a friend in Echuca:

‘We were on observation post together with a couple of other boys all day, and our artillery was having a heavy bombardment the whole time, and the Turks were having a pretty
rough time of it. We managed to get through all right until 7 p.m., when I went for a drink. One of our shells fell short, and a piece of the casing struck Frank on the head, killing him instantaneously.’

Frank was mentioned in despatches for carrying a comrade under heavy fire in Gallipoli. He was wounded in action at the Dardanelles on 4 June 1915 and again on 2 September 1915. Frank was killed in action on 6 September 1915 at Gallipoli, he was 25 years of age.

Frank's brother Ray enlisted in Melbourne on 29 June 1915, he was 22 years of age, his occupation was draper.

Ray was wounded at Villers-Bretoneux on 25 April 1917. He received bullet wounds to his right arm and abdomen. 9 May 1918 he embarked on the ‘Stad Antwerpen’ at Etaples, France for England where he was admitted to 1st London General Hospital.

Ray died of his wounds on 28 May 1918 died of wounds at the 1st London General Hospital, Camberwell. Shell had been found in his right arm and abdomen.

Sgt Ray Howard was buried at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, UK with a full military funeral including a firing party.

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Son of William Cadman Howard and Emma Howard, of Pakenham St., Echuca, Victoria

He was mentioned in despatches and his papers confirming his commission arrived three days after his death.  His comrades buried him at the foot of Hill 60

Biography contributed by Kristine Howard

Frank Rodney Howard

Frank’s parents were William and Emma Howard of Echuca, Victoria.  William and Emma had 7 children. They were Esther Mary (known as Ettie) (b 31 May1878); William James (b 2 May 1880); Rosa Nixon (b 31 May 1882); Elsie Emma (b 9 January 1885); Minnie Victoria (b 23 July 1888); Frank Rodney (b 14 March 1890); Raymond Septimus (b 13 February 1893).

Brothers William and Frank left Echuca for Meekatharra, in Western Australia, where William owned a bakery and Frank was employed by his brother.

Frank enlisted on 20 September 1914 at Meekatharra, WA as a Private with the 16th Battalion, E Company.  The unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on board ‘HMAT A40 Ceramic’ on 22 December 1914.

Frank was mentioned in despatches for carrying a comrade under heavy fire in Gallipoli.  He was wounded in action at the Dardanelles on 4 June 1915.  Frank was killed in action on 2 September 1915 at Hill 60, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, he was 25 years of age.

Extract from a letter written by Private H. Mortimer to a friend in Echuca:

‘We were on observation post together with a couple of other boys all day, and our artillery was having a heavy bombardment the whole time, and the Turks were having a pretty

rough time of it. We managed to get through all right until 7 p.m., when I went for a drink. One of our shells fell short, and a piece of the casing struck Frank on the head, killing him instantaneously.

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