Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick was the son of John Madley GEORGE & Hannah Maria FAIRMANNERS and was born on the 16th of March 1886 in Mount Gambier, SA.

His parents were married on the 31st of March 1875 in Christ Church, Mount Gambier, SA.

His father was the son of William GEORGE & Ann MADLEY and was born in 1853 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales.

His mother was the daughter of John FAIRMANNERS & Caroline WARREN and was born in 1857 in Mount Gambier, SA.

Frederick was the fourth child born into this family of 8 children.

His father was a civil servant and when Frederick was 18 months old the family moved to King William Street, Kent Town, SA.

By 1892 they had moved to St Vincent Street, Pt Adelaide where his father was employed as the secretary of the Dry Creek Quarry Company, in Queenstown.

Frederick was 13 years old when his father died suddenly of a heart attack on the 5th of July 1899 at their home in Canning Street, Rosewater and they buried him in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section I, Drive C, Path 9, Site Number 276S.

After Frederick had completed his education he gained employment as a labourer.

Frederick joined the 10th SAIF (South Australian Infantry Regiment - Adelaide Rifles) for 3 years until his time expired.

By 1914 the family had moved to “Caringa” Bowyer Street, Rosewater, and Frederick was still living at home with his mother.

With the outbreak of WW1 Frederick’s youngest brother; Harry enlisted on the 19th of June 1915 (2565) and was posted to the 27th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement.

Then, the following month, at the age of 28, Frederick enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 21st of July 1915 in Keswick and was allotted the service number 3254 and posted to P Group, 3rd Base Depot in Exhibition Camp.

He was they posted to B Company, 3rd Base Depot at Adelaide Oval and then to the 12th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.

Frederick embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Benalla on the 27th of October 1915 and disembarked in Port Suez in late November.

He marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Zeitoun, where he spent Christmas 1915.

After a further 3 months training, Frederick was transferred to the newly raised 52nd Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on the 3rd of March 1916.

He proceeded to France on the 6th of June were he served in the cold, wet, muddy trenches for the next 6 months.

He was wounded at Mouquet Farm and then suffered from severe Trench Feet in December and was evacuated to England.

Frederick spent Christmas 1916 in hospital and after 2 months was discharged and recommended for return to Australia.

Frederick embarked from England on board HS Karoola on the 22nd of February 1917, disembarked in Melbourne on the 10th of April and entrained to Adelaide.

He was then admitted into the 7th General Hospital in Keswick on the 12th of April and after nearly 4 months recovering after having several toes amputated, he was discharge from hospital on the 15th of August 1917.

Frederick was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the very same day and granted a War Pension of £3- per fortnight until it was decreased on the 14th of March 1918 to £2/5/-.

He returned home to his mother, regained employment as a labourer and joined the Semaphore/Pt Adelaide RSL Sub-Branch.

They then moved to Prospect Road, Prospect, where his mother died on the 14th of July 1922 and Frederick buried her in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section I, Drive C, Path 9, Site Number 276S, with his father.

On the 14th of March 1923 Frederick purchased a home at 67 Fletcher Road, Sandwell (Birkenhead).

He sold this home in October 1937 and moved to Longwood.

Frederick died suddenly on the 31st of March 1939 and was buried the following day in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section I, Drive C, Path 9, Site Number 276S, with his parents.

GEORGE.—THE FRIENDS of the late Mr. FREDERICK MADLEY GEORGE (late 52nd Battalion, A.I.F.), are respectfully informed that his Funeral will leave the residence of his sister, Mrs. B. W. Jones, 105 High street, Queenstown, on SATURDAY at 11.30 a.m., for the Cheltenham Cemetery.

HAROLD J. MOORE, Undertaker.

Military

At the age of 28, Frederick enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 21st of July 1915 in Keswick and was allotted the service number 3254 and posted to P Group, 3rd Base Depot in Exhibition Camp.

He listed their mother, of Bowyer Street, Rosewater, SA, as his next of kin.

On the 16th of August he was posted to B Company, 3rd Base Depot at Adelaide Oval and then on the 1st of September he was posted to the 12th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.

Frederick embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Benalla on the 27th of October 1915 and sailed for Fremantle, arriving 4 days later.

The whole ship was granted shore leave for 3 hours on the 2nd of November, but they didn’t see much of Fremantle as they only had time to go up to Perth.

They arrived at Perth at 3pm and by the time they had a look around it was 5.30pm and the Benalla was due to leave at 6pm.

They thought they were in for a bit of a mess and all jumped into motor’s and went down full speed to Fremantle.

They arrived at the wharf just as the boat was moving off and they had to climb up a rope to get on board. They found there were about 200 men missing, but the Benalla pulled out into stream.

Launches were running out till midnight and at the finish they got nearly all of them on board, and steamed off through the night.

Nine days out from Perth they were still enjoying lovely weather and had reached the tropics.

They disembarked in Port Suez in late November and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Zeitoun, where they spent Christmas 1915.

After a further 3 months training, Frederick was transferred to the newly raised 52nd Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on the 3rd of March 1916.

The 52nd Battalion was raised at Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt 2 days earlier as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were veterans from the 12th Battalion, and the other half, fresh reinforcements from Australia.

Reflecting the composition of the 12th, the 52nd was originally a mix of men from South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

The 52nd Battalion became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.

On the 31st of Marched they marched 14 miles to Mahsama and the following day they continued their march, arriving at Moascar, after some 16 miles in the heat and soft sand.

They very next day they marched a further 14 miles through the desert to Serapeum and camped at the Railhead for further training.

On the 4th of June they entrained from Serapeum siding for Alexandria and embarked the following day on board HMT Ivernia. Early next morning they sailed for Marseilles, accompanied by torpedo destroyers.

Five days later they reached the harbour and then the next morning they disembarked in Marseilles and entrained for 3 days to Caestre, where they marched into billets at Flêtre.

Their next move was to the Saille area on the 19th of June and relieved the 12th Battalion in the trenches in the Petillion-Fleurbaix sector.

After 3 weeks her they were relieved, moved back to Flêtre and then entrained at Bailleul on the 13th of July. They detrained at Candas, marched to Canaples and then onto Halloy-les-Pernois for general Battalion training.

On the 29th they marched 14 miles to Toutencourt and on the 1st of August they moved to Harponville for training.

Four days later they marched via Warloy and Senlis to Brickfields, near Albert, where they were engaged as a carrying and fatigue party at Chalk Pit.

Then on the 13th they moved to Tara Hill and into Wire Trench and were present during the attack at Mouquet Farm, but had been allocated a support role and missed the fighting.

Three days later, they marched back to Brickfields before moving to Warloy on the 18th and then to Bonneville on the 21st for reorganising and training.

On the 26th they moved to Herissart for 2 days before moving to Vadencourt and then back to Brickfields on the 30th.

Two days later, they moved into the front line at La Boiselle and then into the front line on the 1st of September.

They then fought their first major battle at Mouquet Farm on the 3rd of September. In this second attack the 52nd Battalion had a key assaulting role and suffered heavy casualties, 50 per cent of its fighting strength.

During the attack Frederick suffered a contusion to his back and was admitted into the 1st Canadian Field Ambulance and transferred to a Casualty Clearing Station.

He was then transferred to the 4th General Hospital in Camiers on the 5th of September for 4 days before being transferred to the 6th Convalescent Depot in Etaples.

Frederick spent 1 week here and was then discharged to the 4th ADBD (Australian Division Base Depot) in Etaples on the 16th.

On the 30th of September Frederick rejoined his Battalion in Chippewa Camp, near Reninghelst, in training.

On the 7th of October they moved to Spoil Bank in the St Eloi sector and were engaged in repairing trenches in very wet conditions. They were relieved 2 weeks later by the 11th Queens Own Battalion and moved back to Chippewa Camp where they were refitted with new undergarments and uniforms.

They then marched out to Patricia Camp, Popperinghe on the 25th of October and the following day they entrained at Hopoutre Station and detrained at Buigny-l’Abbey for training.

On the 2nd of November they marched to Mouflers and then to St Vast via Flexicourt, the following day. Four days later they marched to Vignacourt and embussed to Buire for 5 days training. On the 12th they marched to Fricourt and bivouacked under canvas, in the cold, without blankets. The following day they marched to Delville Wood, in heavy mud, where they were engaged in improving the dug outs, road making, erecting an Aid Post and salvage operations.

They spent 2 weeks here and then moved into the front line at Flers, into heavy and muddy trenches at Grove & Hay Avenues.

They were relieved in the front line on the 1st of December and commenced digging communication trenches near Delville Wood.

Five days was spent on these trenches before they entrained from Quarry Siding to Meaulte and marched to Buire for training.

Here the men had their feet inspected for trench feet and rubbed with oil.

After being in the boggy, cold, muddy trenches for the past week, Frederick suffered from Trench Feet which caused pain and swelling to both of his feet.

On the 10th of December he was transferred out and admitted into the 9th General Hospital in Rouen 2 days later.

Four days later he was evacuated to England on board HS Aberdonian on the 16th of December and admitted into the 1st General Hospital in Camberwell.

By now the tips of his toes were all gangrenous, his feet looked blue and the soles of his feet were anaesthetic (numb).

Frederick spent Christmas 1916 in hospital and after 2 months was discharged and recommended for return to Australia.

Frederick embarked from England on board HS Karoola on the 22nd of February 1917, disembarked in Melbourne on the 10th of April and entrained to Adelaide.

He was then admitted into the 7th General Hospital in Keswick on the 12th of April and after nearly 4 months recovering after having several toes amputated, he was discharge from hospital on the 15th of August 1917.

Frederick was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the very same day and granted a War Pension of £3- per fortnight until it was decreased on the 14th of March 1918 to £2/5/-.

He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.