Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"...3388 Private Oswald Frederick Mutton, 2nd Battalion. Pte Mutton, a surveyor from Brighton-le-Sands, NSW was 20 years old and married when he enlisted in July 1915. He left Australia with the 11th reinforcements to the Battalion. Promoted lance corporal in 1916 and corporal the following year, he was killed in action at Bullecourt, France on 4 May 1917." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

Oswald Frederick MUTTON was born on 14th December 1894 at Brighton-le-Sands in Sydney. His parents were Oswald and Annie Louise Mutton. For the time, he was well educated as he went to Sydney Boys High School. He sat for and passed the Junior University Examination and then the Public Service Examination before joining the Public Works Department as a cadet on 26th August 1912. He was based in Head Office and worked as a cadet draftsman. On 18th December 1913 he became a surveyor’s field assistant. He remained based in Head Office of the Public Works Branch until 1st January 1917 when he transferred to the Railway Construction Branch, still as a surveyor’s field assistant based in Head Office.
However, Oswald had in fact joined the AIF on 30th July 1915. He joined with the rank of Private (Service Number 3388) and was posted to the 11th Reinforcements to the 2nd Infantry Battalion. He nominated his mother as his next of kin. By this time their family home was at Roseville in Sydney.
He embarked aboard HMAT A14 ‘Euripides’ for Egypt on 2nd November 1915 at Sydney. On 5th February 1916 he joined the 2nd Infantry Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir. On 22nd March 1916 he embarked at Alexandria for France and the Western Front, disembarking at Marseilles on 28 th March 1916. On 25th May 1916 he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal. The next day he was sent, on command, to Engineering Training School. He returned to duty on 2nd June 1916 and he remained on duty until 22nd July 1916 when he was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to the right thigh. After being admitted to hospital in France he was invalided out to England on 30th July 1916 where he was admitted to hospital in Norwich.
He was in hospital recovering until 21st September 1916. After a period of furlough, he left England for France on 11th November 1916. He spent ten days at the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples before re-joining his unit on 24th November 1916. He was on duty until 27th January 1917 when he was sent, on command, to Divisional School of Instruction. He returned to his unit on 2nd March 1917. In the meantime, on 18th February 1917, he had been promoted to the rank of Corporal. On 4th May 1917 he was killed in action at Bullecourt.
Oswald’s military record gives an approximate place of burial in the field but evidently it could not be identified later as he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. His place of association is Sydney, NSW.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board