WHITCHURCH, Frederick Alfred
| Service Number: | 1722 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 September 1915, Brunswick |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Paloona, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, 3 March 1886 |
| Home Town: | Brunswick, Moreland, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Private School, Prospect, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Meningitis & Pneumonia, Salisbury Isolation Hospital, United Kingdom, 9 April 1917, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Stratford-Sub-Castle (St. Lawrence) Churchyard, Wiltshire, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, City of Brunswick Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1722, Brunswick | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1722, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1722, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Aeneas, Fremantle |
Help us honour Frederick Alfred Whitchurch's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 9th April…… Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch was born at Pateena, Tasmania on 3rd March, 1886.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 4th September, 1915 as a 28 year old, single, Labourer from 15 Mary Street, Brunswick, Victoria.
The Embarkation Roll has the following next to Frederick Alfred Whitchurch’s name “Previously No. 4222, 10th Rfts, 24th Btn. Failed to re-embark Fremantle.”
Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch, Service number 1722, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Aeneas (A60) on 17th April, 1916 with the 51st Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements & disembarked at Suez in May, 1916.
On 21st July, 1916 Private Whitchurch was marched out from 13th Training Battalion at Rollestone, Wiltshire, England on 21st July, 1916 to reinforce the 51st Battalion in France.
[Note: There is no record in the Service Record file of when or how Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch transferred from Suez in May, 1916 to being at Rollestone, Wiltshire, England in July, 1916]
He was marched in to 4th Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, France on 26th July, 1916.
Private Whitchurch reported sick on 11th August, 1916 & was admitted to 26th General Hospital at Etaples, France on 13th August, 1916 with Influenza. Private Whitchurch embarked from Calais, France for England on 29th August, 1916 on Hospital Ship Brighton with Influenza - slight.
He was admitted to Edmonton Military Hospital, England on 29th August, 1916 with Influenza - slight. (Note: No further details shown in the Service Record file between 29th August, 1916 & 4th November, 1916)
On 4th November, 1916 Private Whitchurch was discharged from 2nd Auxiliary Hospital to Weymouth on 4th November, 1916. He was marched out from No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, Dorset, England on 11th December, 1916 for Codford. (Note: No further details shown in the Service Record file between 11th December, 1916 & 6th January, 1917)
He was marched in to 13th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 6th January, 1917 from Camp Hospital.
Private Whitchurch was written up for an Offence while posted at Codford – A.W.L. (Absent without leave) from Reveille on 11th January, 1917 till 12.30 pm on 11th January, 1917. He was awarded 2 days confined to Barracks & forfeited 1 days’ pay.
On 10th February, 1917 Private Whitchurch was sent sick to Camp Isolation Hospital at Codford from 13th Training Battalion.
Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch died on 9th April, 1917 at Isolation Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England from Pneumonia & Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.
(Note: some forms in the Service Record file of the late Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch have the date of death as 8th April, others have 9th April, 1917).
The death certificate, located in the Service Record file of the late Private Frederick Alfred Whitchurch, has the date of death as 8th April, 1917 at The Isolation Hospital, Stratford-sub-Castle of (1) Pneumonia Empyema (2) Pyaemia. The informant was listed as Mabel Winch, Acting Matron, The Isolation Hospital, Stratford-sub-Castle.
**The Australian War Memorial & Commonwealth War Graves Commission both have date of death as 9th April, 1917 as does his CWGC headstone.
He was buried in St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Stratford-sub-Castle, Wiltshire, England where 25 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/stratford-sub-castle...
Biography
Frederick Alfred WHITCHURCH was born on 3rd March, 1886 in Tasmania
His parents were William Wickham WHITCHURCH and Harriett WHITE
He enlisted on 6th September, 1915 with the 51st Battalion
Unit embarked from Fremantle WA on HMAT Aeneas on 17th April, 1916
Frederick died on 9th April, 1917 in the Isolation Hospital, Salisbury, England of cerebro spinal meningitis and is buried in St. Lawrence Churchyard, Stratford sub castle, Wiltshire, England
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