WERNDLY, Frederick Owen
| Service Number: | 4090 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Footscray, Victoria, Australia, November 1895 |
| Home Town: | Armadale, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmhand |
| Died: | Wounds, France, 1 August 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Pernois British Cemetery, Halloy-les-Pernois, France Plot III.C.1 |
| Memorials: | Armadale Roll of Honor, Armadale War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kelmscott-Armadale Parish Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 4090, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 4090, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Fremantle |
Help us honour Frederick Owen Werndly's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoff Tilley
Frederick Owen Werndly was born in Footscray Melbourne, Victoria in November 1895 to parents Henry and Martha Werndly. Frederick was one of ten siblings to Henry and Martha.
It is unknown exactly when the Werndly family arrived in West Australia, but it is believed to be around 1897 moving to the Armadale area taking up farming. The farm was situated on Fremantle Road which today is now called Forrest Road. Frederick’s father, Henry died in 1906 aged 54 years leaving Martha in Armadale.
One of Frederick’s brother, Arthur moved to Dowerin in the central wheatbelt of West Australia to take up farming. It is believed that the brothers farmed together in Dowerin.
Frederick enlisted into the A.I.F. at the age of 21 years in June 1916 where he was originally allocated to 11thBattalion before been transferred to the 32nd Battalion. He embarked from Fremantle in October 1916 arriving England in December 1916. Whilst in England he was transferred to a training battalion conducting a further 3 months of training.
Frederick then proceeded to France in March 1917 joining his battalion in the field in April 1917. His time was spent repairing roads at a location called Rose Trench and near the French villages of Grevilliers and Bapaume. In May 1917, he participated in the follow up operations from the second battle of Bullecourt near the village of Lagnicourt conducting patrol duties.
In September to October 1917, 32nd Battalion moved to Belgium where it was involved in the Third Battle of Ypres, however Frederick missed this action at Polygon Wood as in the August of 1917 he was hospitalised with trench fever and influenza re-joining the battalion in December 1917.
During the German Spring Offensive of 1918 Frederick with his battalion was kept in reserve before been returned to the offensive battle of Amiens commencing in August 1918.
It was on the night of the 29/30th July 1918, Frederick was with his battalion conducting an attack on the German’s first and second line of trenches near the village of Morlancourt. It was during this attack that the battalion sustained heavy German shelling, where he was wounded in action, receiving a shrapnel wound to his head.
Frederick was evacuated to the No 4 Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his wounds on 1st August 1918. He was buried in the Pernois British Cemetery north of Amiens France, which was overseen by Captain the Reverend J.P. Frend. He was 24 years of age.
The inscription on Fred’s headstone reads.
“IN MEMORY OF MY LOVING SON NOT LOST BUT GONE BEFORE”
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