FREW, Reginald Lansell
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 November 1915, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 8th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia, 28 August 1892 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Melbourne C of E Grammar School; Roseworthy Agricultural College |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Zillebeke, Belgium, 17 September 1917, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
The Huts Cemetery, Dickebusch, Belgium Plot VI, Row B, Grave No. 5 |
| Memorials: | Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Bendigo Sandhurst Club Roll of Honour, Melbourne Grammar School WW1 Fallen Honour Roll, Mount Gambier War Memorial, Roseworthy Agricultural College Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 1916: | Embarked Lieutenant, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, HMAT Medic, Melbourne | |
| 20 May 1916: | Involvement Lieutenant, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Sep 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 9th Field Artillery Brigade , England | |
| 5 Jun 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Division Artillery , Belgium | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Division Artillery , Battle of Messines | |
| 20 Aug 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 8th Field Artillery Brigade , Belgium | |
| 14 Sep 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 8th Field Artillery Brigade , Third Ypres, SW to back. Remained with unit. | |
| 17 Sep 1917: | Involvement Lieutenant, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 8th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-09-17 | |
| Date unknown: | Embarked Lieutenant, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Lieutenant, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: '' embarkation_ship: '' embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' |
Help us honour Reginald Lansell Frew's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
REGINALD LANSELL FREW , who was killed in action in France on 17th September 1917 was the son of Mr. John Frew of Bendigo. He was born in 1892 and entered the School in 1908. He was in the football teams of 1910 and 1911, was a good, plucky player, and a very popular boy.
On leaving School at the end of 1911 he went to Roseworthy Agricultural College, South Australia. He was doing well in his agricultural course when he enlisted and went into camp at Maribyrnong on 30th November 1915. He gained rapid promotion to Sergeant, and then was placed in an officers' school, and on 1st April 1916 received his commission.
He left Australia in May 1916 and was in camp on Salisbury Plain doing his final training. He was sent to France in May 1917 being on 5th June taken on strength of the 3rd Divisional Artillery, and on 14th July 1917 was promoted to Lieutenant. He was slightly wounded on 16th September, but was able to carry on with his battery, but on the following day he was killed in action.
Brigadier-General Grimwade (No. 1621 on the School Roll), writing to Mrs. Frew, said: " He was with his battery performing his work as we would expect him to do it, magnificently. Your son did such good work that his commanding officer asked to have him for good. I was only too pleased to accede to this request, and I can assure you it is a great grief to me and to all your son's comrades that fate selected him to be taken. I can offer you no comfort beyond assuring you that we all share in your loss, and offer you our most sincere sympathy." An old school-fellow writes thus of him: "When he was posted to a battery he was put among men who knew him for what he was worth. He was beloved by his men, respected by his brother-officers, thought highly of by his seniors, and was immensely popular with all ranks. He was absolutely fearless, and at all times thorough in his duties. His loss will be felt keenly throughout the brigade. I was not within a few miles of Lance when the shell landed, but on making inquiries I found that he was shooting the battery when the shell landed at his feet. He would not even have heard it coming, and death was instantaneous." His memory is to be perpetuated at the School by a most valuable Residential Scholarship founded by his mother.
Biography contributed by Robert Wight
A farmer from Bendigo, Victoria prior to enlistment, Lt Frew embarked with the rank of Second Lieutenant with the 1st Reinforcements, 23rd Howitzer Battery from Melbourne on HMAT Medic on 20 May 1916.
Later transferring to the 8th FAB with the rank of Lieutenant, he was wounded in action but remained on duty. On 17 September 1917 he was killed in action, aged 25, and was buried in the Dickecusch Cemetery, Belgium.
Following the Armistice his remains were re-interred in The Huts Cemetery, Belgium.
Source: AWM
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