Fred Percival BIRKIN

BIRKIN, Fred Percival

Service Number: 3244
Enlisted: 15 July 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 7th Infantry Battalion
Born: Newstead, Victoria, Australia, 1892
Home Town: Newstead, Mount Alexander, Victoria
Schooling: Newstead State School, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Died of wounds, France, 6 May 1916
Cemetery: Sailly-sur-la-Lys Canadian Cemetery
Plot I, Row A, Grave No. 12
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Newstead & District Great European War Roll of Honor, Newstead Co-Operative Butter Factory Honor Roll, Newstead State School No. 452 WWI Honor Roll, Newstead War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

15 Jul 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3244, 7th Infantry Battalion
11 Oct 1915: Involvement Private, 3244, 7th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: ''
11 Oct 1915: Embarked Private, 3244, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne

Help us honour Fred Percival Birkin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Fred Birkin was born in Newstead, Victoria and his mother, Ellen, had passed away when he was about 13 years of age. Fred was accidently wounded in his own lines when a group of Australians tried to shift an enemy shell nose cap from their trenches, and the shell exploded on 4 May 1916. Fred died two days from shrapnel wounds to the chest in the 1st Australian Field Ambulance.

His older brother, 725 Pte. Conrad Charles Birkin, 7th Battalion AIF, died of wounds 17 April 1918, aged 27.

Inscription on Fred’s headstone reads ‘Dearly loved son of John & the late Ellen Birkin Strangways, Victoria.’ Strangways is an area just out of Newstead, Victoria.

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