Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Fred Rann only arrived in Egypt during March 1916. He spent 6 weeks in hospital after arriving in France with mumps. He rejoined the 9th Battalion on 11 June 1916, and celebrated a reunion with his brother, 670 Corporal William Henry Rann also of the 9th Battalion, a Gallipoli veteran.

They were both involved in the first attack by Australians at Pozieres, when two platoons of the 9th Battalion tried to capture a German strongpoint on the night of 22 July 1916. The attempt failed to a failure of the artillery but was bravely executed.  

Harry Rann later wrote a letter, published by the Northern Star (Lismore, NSW) during September 1916.

“Writing to his mother, Mrs. Harry Rann, of Nimbin, from Beaufort Hospital on 2nd August, Private Will Rann says “This is the hardest letter I have ever written, but mother dear it has to be done.

I am pleased to say I was within a yard of Fred when he got hit; there were twelve of us in that particular part of the trench when they sent over a trench mortar. They are equal to about a five-inch howitzer. There was a chap named Proctor next to me, then poor Fred, Jim Hurley, and a chap beside him, three wounded and Fred killed; then on my right five more wounded. I never got a scratch, only covered up. Thank God poor Fred was killed outright. He never moved, and he would, be buried about a mile west of Pozieres. May God rest his soul. That was on Saturday morning, July 22nd, at about 2 a.m. Then on Sunday morning at about the same time I was in the thick of it. I had my revenge. There were Germans lying everywhere. The second trench that we took was full of them; and talk about bombs, bullets, and shells!

They could not hit me until I got one in the back. It did not stop me, though. I was out for death, and I dealt it out. I had a charmed life. Thank God I am here now. The bullet is still in me, but it is alright in the flesh.”

The same newspaper also had published earlier, “Private Fred Rann was among of the most highly respected young men in this district, and when the news came there was scarcely a dry eye, as he was known far and wide, having had the motor passenger service between here and Lismore, and through his ever kind and genial spirit he was loved by everyone. The sympathy of the whole community goes out to the. sorrowing parents, brothers and sisters in their loss.”

Fred’s brother Harry Rann was later awarded a Military Medal and sent home to Australia on ‘1914 leave’ during late 1918. Another brother, John Edward Rann also enlisted in the artillery and served in France. They were the sons of Henry and Alice Rann of Nimbin, NSW.