Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick McCabe - Service Number 7075

In January 1898, Emily Maria McCabe gave birth to her son in the rural town of Sofala, NSW, Australia before moving to Granville where he would spend most of his boyhood with his father, James Warwick McCabe. A believer in Methodism, McCabe would have likely been baptised as an infant and grown up in a wholly Christian community (1). He completed primary education in approximately 1904- 1911 at Rosehill Superior Public High School (2) and attended 3 years at Sydney Technical High School between 1912 - 1914, successfully obtaining an intermediate certificate to signify completing 2 years of high school. (3). During high school, McCabe’s best subjects consistently comprised of mathematical principles - mainly algebra and trigonometry- along with  English, placing 17th/31 in his class during 1912. However, he faced an academic shortfall by placing 27th/29 and 31st/32 in semester 1 and 2 of 1913 respectively along with obtaining a position of 19th/20 in 1914 (4). After dropping out of high school upon completion of his 3rd year of schooling, McCabe worked as a bank clerk with his close friend Magnus McKay, who would later become 7077 Pte McKay (5).

Frederick McCabe enlisted on the 7th of August 1916, ranking private in the 20th Infantry Battalion as part of his Senior Cadets (6). McCabe was described as having a short and small stature with fair brown eyes, freckles & hair (7), measured to be approximately 5 '5.25' ' (165.7cm) and weighing in at 139 lbs (~ 63.0kg).

He embarked from Sydney as 7075 Pte McCabe on the boat HMAT Benalla, 4 months after his initial enlistment, arriving at Devonport in England on the 9th of January 1917 to train in the Royal Navy barracks (8).

He was described to be a social young man who was great friends with 7077 Private Magnus McKay & 6774 Pte F. J.King among others. Magnus McKay served in the same battalions as McCabe and was often referenced as a close friend he knew from Australia, with 7055 Pte J.T. Williamson having recorded, “He and McCabe were great pals.”(9) 

Upon 25th of April 1917, McCabe departed from English port Folkestone overseas to France, marching in Etaples on the next day and arriving at the Western Front serving as a private. On the 11th of May 1917, he was taken on strength to the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 23rd Reinforcement.

He served at Ypres, Belgium during the period when German soldiers were bunkering down on the Hindenburg line, participating in  the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Menin Road, before the following Battle of Polygon Wood, in the 3nd Battle of Ypres. The Battle of Messines involved the capture of the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge, a strategic position held by the Germans. Frederick McCabe’s company had been involved in the detonation of 19 mines under the German frontline (11) that preceded the Allies' swift and successful assault. In the battle of Menin Road, as part of the Allied offensive to reach Passchendaele Village, they aimed to take sections of the curving ridges east of Ypres, seeing the first involvement of Australian troops in the third Battle of Ypres. According to 3697 Corporal E. BURT, 2nd Bn (patient, No 8 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne), “This was his first time in the frontline”, (12) meaning that the Battle of Menin Road would have been McCabe’s first experience being deployed in close proximity to the enemy troops and fighting with his life on the line. 

Frederick McCabe was Killed in Action at Belgium, in the 2nd phase of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, in the Battle of Menin Road at age 19 years and 9 months, on the 22nd of September 1917. (13) When gas shells were dropped, at around 7am, Frederick McCabe put on his gas mask and tunnelled under for extra cover too deeply in the sandy ground with the other members of the squadron. A shell exploded near McCabe and buried him with his gas mask on, restricting airflow, killing him from suffocation before anyone had the chance to dig him up . (14) Corporal E.Burt states, “I buried him about 5 yards away from the trench where he was killed and put a rough cross up.”,(15)  later being properly exhumed at Buttes New British Cemetery with a cross and the following engraved, “ “THOUGH LOST TO SIGHT (line 1), TO MEMORY EVER DEAR (line 2).” (16) 

McCabe left behind his mother, Emily McCabe (Died in 1960, Lithgow NSW) and James Warwick McCabe (Died in 1955, Sydney NSW). They received back the few possessions Mc Cabe had at the time, including his gold ring (assumed to be a gift from parents or a loved one) along with photos of himself. (18) To this day, Frederick McCabe's name is located on the roll of honour at panel 33 in the Commemorative area at the Australian War Memorial and Sydney Technical High School’s WWI Roll of Honour. (19)

References

1. Frederick McCabe, NAA: B2455, McCABE Frederick 1916 Enlistment Form 
2. Ibid
3. Emily Maria McCabe, McCabe Circular ROH (roll of honour)
4. Anonymous, Class 1912 1B, Class 1913 2B, 1913 Intermediate certificate & Class 1914 3C.
5. 7077 Magnus Mckay, Red Cross File No 1880708W Page 11, (26 February 1918)
6. McCabe Frederick, B2455 McCabe Frederick Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisting (7 August 1916)
7. 3535 Pte A.L. HANSFORD, stretcher bearer, 2nd Bn. Red Cross File No 1880708W Page 11, 4 December 1917.
8. Ibid
9. 7055 Pte J.T. WILLIAMSON, C Company, 2nd Bn (patient, 56th General Hospital, France),  2nd Bn. Red Cross File No 1880708W Page 4 (19 november 1917)
10. Anonymous, NAA: B2455, McCABE Frederick, Casually form - active 
11. Ibid
12. Ibid
13. Ibid
14. Ibid
15. Ibid
16. Anonymous, Commonwealth War Graves Commision Frederick McCabe
17. Ibid
18. Ex. 3rd Echelon, France (4395.), NAA: B2455, McCABE Frederick, Page 27 (6 November 1917)
19. Ibid

Bibliography

Amanda Phellan, How Australian Schoolboys were trained for World War I, Sydney Morning Herald, Last updated 11th April 2015, Accessed on 6th June 2024, How Australian schoolboys were trained for World War I (smh.com.au)

Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files, 7075 Private Frederick McCabe, created during 1914-1918, accessed on 1 June 2024, 5635316.PDF

AWM 4 Subclass 23/2 - 2nd Infantry Brigade, Australian War Memorial, accessed on 1st June 2024, AWM4 Subclass 23/2 - 2nd Infantry Brigade | Australian War Memorial

AWM 8 Subclass 23/19/3 - 2 Infantry battalion - 13 to 23 Reinforcements (December 1915 - November 1916), Australian War Memorial, accessed on 1st June 2024, AWM 8 23/19/3 - 2 Infantry Battalion - 13 to 23 Reinforcements (December 1915 - November 1916) | Australian War Memorial

Battle of Menin Road, Australian War Memorial, Accessed on 3rd June 2024, Battle of Menin Road | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)

British First World War Service Medals, Imperial War Museum, Accessed on 8th June 2024, British First World War Service Medals | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

Bruce Donaldson, Emily Maria (Bills) McCabe, WikiTree, Last updated 14th September 2022, Accessed on 5th June 2024, Emily Maria (Bills) McCabe (abt.1876-abt.1960) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Buttes New British Cemetery, World War 1 Cemeteries, Accessed on 2nd June 2024, Buttes New British Cemetery, Belgium (CWGC) - WW1 Cemeteries.com - A photographic guide to over 4000 military cemeteries and memorials

History of New South Wales Government Schools, Education.NSW.gov.au, Last updated on 6th March 2023, Accessed on 4th June 2024, Examinations (nsw.gov.au)

Ken Stevenson, World War 1 Honour Board Soldier Files, Google Drive, accessed on 27th May 2024, McCABE F - Frederick - Google Drive

McCabe Frederick : SERN 7075 : POB Sofalla USA : POE Sydney NSW : NOK  F McCabe J, National Archives of Australia, Last created circa 1920, Accessed on 3rd June 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/  ViewImage.aspx?B=1938188

Private Frederick McCabe, Commonwealth War Graves Commision, Accesses on 2 June 2024, Private Frederick McCabe | War Casualty Details 480344 | CWGC

Steve Larkins, Third Ypres, Virtual War Memorial, last updated on September 2014, Accessed on 1st June 2024, Virtual War Memorial (vwma.org.au)

The Tunnellers of the Great War, Mining and Energy Union, created on 24th April 2020, accessed on 4th June 2024, The Tunnellers of the Great War - Mining and Energy Union (meu.org.au)

2nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian War Memorial, AWM4/23/19/1-12/19/51, accessed on 1st June 2024, 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)