Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank READ was born on 8th August 1888 in Andover, Hampshire, England to parents Fanny SHIPTON and Charles READ.  He migrated alone to Australia from London at the age of 21 aboard the S.S. "Otranto", arriving in Fremantle on 4th November 1909.

A 27 year old married farmer, living with his wife Florence in the Southern coastal town of Denmark, Western Australia at the time, Frank enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Blackboy Hill W.A. on 21st September 1915.  He was assigned as a Private, regimental number 6155, and allocated to "D" Company of 3rd Depot Battalion.  Following completion of his recruit training at the Helena Vale (Blackboy Hill) Military Camp on 16th November, Frank was assigned as a Sapper with the 3rd reinforcements for the 4th Field Company Engineers.  They proceeded to Sydney, where they embarked aboard HMAT "Runic" (A54) on 20th January 1916, for active service overseas, with Frank appointed an Acting Corporal for the duration of the voyage.

Arriving in Alexandria, Egypt, on 27th February, Frank was taken on strength with the 4th Field Company Engineers (4th FCE) in Serapeum on 18th May.  They embarked in Alexandria aboard the HMT "Canada" on 1st June, to join the British Expeditionary Force in France, disembarking in Marseilles on 9th June.  The Unit took part in the Battle of Pozières, arriving in La Boiselle with the 4th Infantry Brigade on the evening of 6th August 1916, as the 4th Division relieved the exhausted 2nd Division.  They immediately set to work in the front line, digging communications trenches.  In the ensuing days, after a German counter-attack on 7th August, the 4th FCE were kept busy repairing roads and a bridge, cleaning and revetting the Centre Way from Pozières to the front line, posting notice boards in trenches, and building a mortar emplacement and dugout.  They also spent several days repairing a well that was extensively damaged by enemy artillery, restricting work to between barrages.

On 27th August 1916, Frank was admitted to the 1st ANZAC Corps Rest Station near Contay, with myalgia (muscle aches and pain).  He was discharged to return to duty three days later.  At this time, the 4th FCE were still in La Boiselle, cleaning out and revetting old German dugouts that had been vacated by the enemy.  They were withdrawn from the Somme on 5th September.

Following the Somme Offensive, the roads around the French village of Flers were almost impassable, now being nothing more than muddy quagmires and water filled craters, after four months of being pulverised by constant artillery barrages and heavy rain.  On 6th December 1916, the 4th FCE War Diary states that a team of ten Sappers and one Officer were repairing the Longueval to Bazentin Road.  Four were killed in action, and Frank was one of five Sappers and one Officer, who were evacuated to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station in Heilly, suffering from what's described in his Service Record as multiple gunshot wounds (no explanation in Unit War Diary as to how these casualties occurred).  A later report from the 38th CCS also described his injuries as being multiple gunshot wounds, despite conflicting accounts given to a Red Cross Enquiry from two witnesses, dated up to two months later, that described Frank as having been wounded by an artillery shell, while cooking in a Sergeants' Mess building in Longueval.

Frank READ died of his wounds at the 38th CCS on 8th December 1916.  He was 28 years old.  Frank was buried in the Heilly Station Cemetery in Mericourt-L'Abbe, France.  His widow Florence (who later remarried) received his British War Medal, Victory Medal, and Memorial Plaque and Scroll.

Lest we forget...

Compiled by Karan CAMPBELL-DAVIS from historical records held by the National Archives of Australia (Passenger Arrivals Index and WW1 Service Record); Australian War Memorial (4th Fld Coy Eng Unit War Diaries, and Red Cross Wounded & Missing Files);  and Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.