LUGTON, Frank Leslie
| Service Number: | 447 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 March 1915, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 24th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Northcote, Victoria, Australia, 4 November 1893 |
| Home Town: | Northcote, Darebin, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Fairfield State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Electrical engineer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozieres, France, 29 July 1916, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Melbourne Town Hall Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Melbourne | |
| 30 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 6 Nov 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 24th Infantry Battalion, Gallipoli. Later reverted to Private at own request (8 May 1916). | |
| 29 Nov 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Shell shock. Evacuated to Malta. Rejoined unit 11 March 1916 in Egypt. | |
| 29 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 29 Jul 1916: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 447, 24th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 447 awm_unit: 24 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-07-29 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Frank Leslie Lugton (1893-1916) was a promising young cricketer with the Northcote Cricket Club, a member of the Northcote Baseball Club and a player in the halfback line for the Melbourne Football Club (36 games in 1913-14) in the VFL when war broke out.
Only 21 when he enlisted in in the 24th Batallion in April 1915, he had already established himself as the club’s best player and had represented Victoria at First Class level.
Frank was known as being "of a modest and retiring disposition, and was extremely well liked by all". The large family of Charles and Jane Ann Lugton lived at "Hillburn" in Prospect Grove in Northcote with three of their sons serving overseas.
Alongside Frank stood his brothers 27 year old Archie in the 57th Battalion and 30 year old Eddie as a gunner in the A.I.F. 10th Battery.
After serving at Gallipoli, Lugton was promoted to Lance-Corporal and sent to fight in France. It was there, on 29 July 1916 at the age of 22 that he was killed in active service at Pozieres.
At the time he was one of the last Victorian State cricketers to play in Tasmania and one of the first to perish in the Great War. Black armbands were respectfully worn when Frank's sporting teams next played. In all seven Northcote Cricket Club players perished in service of their country.
Tragically Frank Lugton’s brother, Archibald, another Northcote cricketer was wounded on the battlefield and subsequently died of his wounds in August 1918.
Lugton Street in Alphington was named as a local tribute to the Lugton's contribution to Northcote.
Source: Darebin Heritage & Robert Wight
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