Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From In Search of Charles Albert Stokes DCM

Pte Frederick William Lydiate born Guildford, Western Australia, was one of four sons to parents William and Sarah Lydiate.

In July 1915 Frederick enlisted into the A.I.F. at Blackboy Hill, Perth Western Australia. He recorded his occupation as a machine expert with his next of kin, his father listed as Station Master at Buntine via Wongan Hills. Frederick’s brothers also enlisted into the A.I.F. with his younger brother Albert, attached to 46th Battalion who was killed in action on 18th August 1918. His two other brothers Sydney and George both returned to Australia in August 1919.

Frederick embarked from Adelaide, South Australia in November 1915 attached to C Company 32nd Battalion. He disembarked at Suez in December 1915 joining the British Expeditionary Force in Alexandria, Egypt. Whilst there he conducted further training with his battalion before embarking for France in June 1916, disembarking at Marseilles. On arrival in France the battalion was sent to Morbecque near Hazebrouck.

On 14th July 1916, 32nd battalion moved to billets at Fleaurbaix in preparation for an assault on the German lines. The British High Command was formulating a plan with the intention of attacking the German lines at Fromelles, anticipating this attack would draw German troops away from the Somme offensive. Part of the plan was directed at well defended position known as the Sugar Loaf salient, this position encroached into no man’s land putting the German defenders in an advantages position to cover no man’s land if an assault took place.

The plan was to use the Australian 5th Division which included 15th, 14th & 8th Brigades along with the British 61st Division. The 31st and 32nd battalions been a part of the 8th Brigade formed part of the attack on the extreme left flank of the assault. They had to cover only about 100 metres across no man’s land to reach the German trenches. A seven-hour artillery bombardment was to proceed the attack which was set for 6pm on 19th July 1916.

Private Frederick Lydiate with men from C Company of 32nd Battalion and 31st Battalion were to form the first and second waves of the attack. With the two battalions in position in the trenches, even before the attack commenced, the Australians had already suffered severe casualties from not only the German artillery but also from the inexperienced Australian artillery who lacked the skill to provide cover for the battalions.

With the commencement of the attack, the flank of the 8th Brigade came under further artillery bombardment causing further casualties forcing the third and fourth waves of the attack to be combined. This reduced the strength of the Australian attack who by now suffered heavily from the German machine gunners, who had recovered from the artillery bombardment. With continued enfilading German machine gun fire into the Australians, the 32nd and 31st battalions were able to capture a small section of the German trenches. But with no follow up support and continued German counter attacks the Australian battalions were force to withdraw leaving many of their casualties in the German trenches.

By the morning of the 20th July 1916 the attack was over, the Australians had suffered over 5,000 casualties. For 32nd battalion the diary entry for July 1916 was, Officers; killed 4, wounded 8, missing 4. Ordinary ranks; killed 67, wounded 367, missing 214.

After the attack the Germans removed the casualties from their trenches, to what we now know burying these men in large pits near Pheasant Wood. If not for the dedication of many keen researchers these burial pits were identified with the remains of 250 men exhumed, over 90 years later after they had been buried by the German defenders of Fromelles. Many have now been identified and have been re interned into the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery. Research still goes on today to identify the remaining missing soldiers.

Private Frederick William Lydiate was reported missing in action on 19th July 1916 and subsequently determined to have been killed in action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on VC Corner Australian Cemetery, Fromelles France. With the ongoing research into the missing men of Fromelles, we can only hope that Private Frederick William Lydiate will be identified one day, to be finally placed into a marked resting place.

His family has placed a memorial plaque within the memorial drives of Kings Park, Perth Western Australia, alongside his younger brother.

Private Frederick William Lydiate you have not been forgotten.