Frank (Holford) WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS, Frank

Service Numbers: 1648, 1640
Enlisted: 30 October 1914, Melbourne, Vic.
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 14th Infantry Battalion
Born: Geelong, Victoria, Australia, January 1896
Home Town: Skipton, Pyrenees, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer (Bannongill Station)
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 7 August 1915
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Derrinallum & District WW1 Roll of Honor, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing
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World War 1 Service

30 Oct 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1648, 14th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic.
19 Feb 1915: Involvement Private, 1640, 14th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: ''
19 Feb 1915: Embarked Private, 1640, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Melbourne
7 Aug 1915: Involvement Private, 1648, 14th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1648 awm_unit: 14 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1915-08-07

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Biography contributed by Kay Bell

Frank WILLIAMS. Private 1648/1640, 14th Australian Infantry Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement, was born in Geelong, Vic.

His parents were Charles & Elizabeth WILLIAMS who worked and lived at Banongill Station which extended from Skipton to Vite Vite, near Derrinallum. His elder  brother C. Gordon WILLIAMS also enlisted 24/1/1916 with 29th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements.

There is no evidence of Frank’s service in his file or the actual details of where he died, the dates and places vary and the record is filled with letters of plea's of grief & frustration.

 

A death notice appeared in the AGE Thursday September 9th. 1915.

DEATHS On Active Service.

WILLIAMS– Killed in Action in the Dardenelles 7th August . Frank Holford Williams, 14th Battalion, dearly loved son  of Charles and Elizabeth J Williams, of Banongill Station, Skipton, and dearly loved brother of  Gordon, Austen, Ethel and Phillip, aged 18 years 7 mths

A worthy son who has brought honor to his fathers name. 

 

The identity disc appears to be sent  to the family in April 1916. A package of personal effects was received 13/8/17 and  Elizabeth is granted a war pension 20/11/17.

In 1921 the British War Medal, Memorial Scroll & Kings message were received and in 1922 the Victory medal & Memorial Plaque.

 

The final family documentation in the file is in 1955, when Frank’s brother  Austen Williams was planning to travel overseas and wanted to know the location of the grave. He wrote to the War Graves Commission in

Canberra 27/6/1955 – he held a photo which showed he was buried in the first ANZAC cemetery.

They in turn sent a memorandum to the Imperial War Graves Commission noting the details of  Frank’s burial had not been endorsed on  his records.

The I.W.G. then replied 11/7/1955—According to records held  the remains of  this serviceman were not

officially recovered.

His name is fully commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, erected to commemorate the names of those servicemen who had no known graves. 

19/7/1955 A.I.F. Base Records stated to Austen Williams : His remains were buried in a temporary cemetery

(location unknown) and through subsequent enemy action, identification was lost, and his remains were never officially recovered.

So Frank WILLIAMS is commemorated at Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli no known grave.

F. WILLIAMS LONE PINE MEMORIAL 43. Turkey (including Gallipoli)

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