Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On April 1894 Frank Harry Challinger was born in Adelaide, South Australia, to Father Sam Challinger at 91 King William Road, Hyde Park. Little is known about Challinger’s pre-war life except that he had partaken in military experience before the war in the form of 2 years in junior cadets, and that he attended Gillies Street Primary school. Upon enlistment on 6/12/1915 he was 21 years old, worked as a blacksmith striker and was single; his next of kin was named to his father. Challinger was the average height for a male standing at 5 foot, six inches, he bore a distinctive mark in the form of a tattoo on his right forearm. He was appointed to 10th Iinfantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, 4th Division, his service number was 4917. He embarked with 10th battalion on the 9th of March 1916 on the HMAT Mongolia arriving in Egypt in April 1916.

While in Egypt Challinger underwent training and began his long streak of going A.W.L. He went A.W.L from the morning of 13/7/16 to 16/7/16.

Upon arriving in France, he was reallotted to British expeditionary force and later 13th Machine Gun Company from which is he saw his first major action at the battle of Pozieres on the 14th of August. During the battle he provided indirect fire at the enemy and managed to remove the enemy that was occupying a nearby creator. The battle of Pozieres was a segment of the Somme offensive, which is considered to be one of the worst battles throughout the entirety of WW1, with over 20,000 men falling victim to enemy fire in first day.

On the 4/11/16 he fell ill and was sent to military hospital; he re-joined his company on the 28/11/16.

Throughout 1918 Challinger took part in many battles such as the Third Ypres, battle of Bullecourt(first), and battle of Messines. The battle of Bullecourt put 4th Division out of action for a few weeks until the battle of Messines which was a major victory for allied forces and incorporated any new technologies such as underground mine warfare and “Bite and hold” tactics.

Challinger took part in many other battles however, due to being part of the machine gun company, throughout his whole military service his role was to provide indirect fire from the machine gun to either cover allied troops or take down enemy ones. He remained in the relative safety of the trenches every battle. However, Challinger played an essential role manning one of the most destructive weapons of WW1. By manning the machine gun Challinger was able to stop countless waves of energy attacks, yet the energy has the exact same capability. The act of firing randomly into the battlefield was surprisingly effective and Challinger may have been responsible for many casualties.

Although even with his safety he was wounded in action on the 23/9/17 in Belgium, while transporting equipment to the front line. He suffered from a broken toe and was sent to Northampton war hospital in England embarking on the M.S Panama on 26/9/17. He returned to his unit sometime in October of that same year.

On the 22/12/17 Challinger went A.W.L, disobeyed AIF orders and took a train ride with a pass, this gave him 3 days no pay.

During the new year Challinger was admitted to brigade hospital with an ulcer on his heel however, not before going A.W.L for 2 days on the 3/1/18 and then later on the 16/3/18 going A.W.L for 5 days until he was apprehended by military police. During this peroid away from the front Challinger went A.W.L a multitude of times and upon return to the front line he became ill and was admitted to hospital. During his time in hospital, he escaped and went A.W.L. Every time he went A.W.L was punished with multiple days no pay.

During 1918 Challinger took part in many battles that lead to the armistice, including the German Spring offensive and then the allied counter offensive. On the 30/8/18 he was admitted to hospital with cellulitis on the right knee. On the 3/9/18 he decided to leave hospital where he was not supposed to this resulted in 4 days no pay.

The final action that Challinger took park before the ceasing of hostilities on 11th of November was Mont St Quentin / Peronne, where he was stationed in reserves in the rear trenches. Peronne was significant because it once again demonstrated the capability of Australian soldiers. The objective was to capture Mont St Quentin, and this was achieved in a quite different way than the static trench warfare. This battle applied manoeuvre and cooperation between each platoon and company demonstrated the capability of the Australian soldiers.

After this battle Challinger’s company were pulled from the front and spent the rest of war as reserves.

After the war Challinger’s battalion was moved around France until settling in Anseremme where they channelled aid to civilians loading aid onto trains and confiscating military equipment from civilians. During this peroid the soldiers were given lessons on varying from modern topics to the franco Prussian war, as well as spending time on recreational activities.

By March 1919 Challingers battalion moved out of France and arrived in Duban Egypt. By September 1919 Challinger was scheduled to board the M.Y. Kanowna however, for one last time he went A.W.L and missed this ship with was bound or Australia. He reported to the AIF offices, on the 29/9/19, and the sailed for Australian on the H.T Euripides on the 30/9/19. He disembarked in Adelaide on the 20/10/19 and was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of December 1919. During this peroid of departure Challinger’s next kin changed his address to Port Pire Sa, Solomontown.

After his military service Challinger found work as a construction worker, married Kathleen May in 1925, and had his son Malcolm Frank Challinger in 1926. However, adjusting to civilian life provide somewhat difficult for Challinger, in November 1928 he stole bricks from the construction site and was imprisoned for two months, in the years that followed he was fined and arrested for multiple offenses. In later years Challinger had an affair with a lady named Mrs Vears, this did not sit well with Malcolm, and he subsequently took action into his own hands. On 3rd October 1944 Malcolm Frank Challinger assaulted Mrs Vears at her workplace by shooting her with a sawn-off rifle, Mrs. Vears survived the encounter only suffering from a wounded arm and chest. Malcolm was later charged with attempted murder and was sentenced to military duty. After the incident Frank Harry Challinger stayed with his wife until his death on 2nd July 1977.

Overall, Frank Harry Challinger had a difficult life, his time the army left him with many scars. His constant action of going A.W.L showed how hard he found the war. He was awarded Victory Medal, British War Medal.

He is commemorated with a Plaque in the South Australian Garden of Remembrance.