Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Francis Henry Frederick Bartels (Service Nos:Q303430/Q66053) enlisted in the ACMF on 4 July 1940 - he had previously served with the Militia (Service No:21660) and was attached to Lytton Depot when he Discharged on 3 October 1940. Private Bartels then re-enlisted in the ACMF on 11 November 1940 with 1 Labour Coy. He was a Lance Corporal attached to NC Area Signals when he was Discharged on 4 September 1942.

Born in 1897 in Brisbane QLD, Francis was the fifth of twelve children of Franz Heinrich Bartels (b1865 in Germany) and Caroline Schweikert (b1872 in Rawbelle, Wide Bay, QLD). Franz immigrated in 1882, arriving in Sydney NSW on board the Etna. Franz (a Cigar Maker) and Caroline married in 1894 in Brisbane QLD where they lived until 1911 when they moved their family to Gunyan Station in Texas, QLD. Franz was a Farmer before returning to Brisbane in the mid 1920s where he resumed as a Cigar Maker.

Francis started work as a Labourer on Gunyan Station in Texas QLD, and in 1926 married Ethel (Ettie) Jane Redgwell (b1886 in Stanthorpe, QLD) - Ettie worked as a Housekeeper in Warwick, QLD. Franz and Ettie spent a couple of years in Brisbane where Francis was a Labourer before returning to Texas in the early 1930s where Francis was a Share Farmer at Goondarin. By 1936 they had moved to Strathalpine in Texas and Francis was working as a Labourer when he enlisted in the ACMF. Francis and Ettie settled in Brisbane where Francis worked as a Labourer. Ettie died in 1956 and Francis in 1965.