MCKINNON, Frank
| Service Number: | 3088 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 August 1915, Frank was originally assigned to the 9th Reinforcements for the 9th Battalion but transferred to the 49th Battalion in Egypt ON 27 February 1916. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Maclean, New South Wales, Australia, October 1895 |
| Home Town: | Lismore, Lismore Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Apprentice Jeweller |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 14 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Maclean Public School Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3088, 49th Infantry Battalion, Frank was originally assigned to the 9th Reinforcements for the 9th Battalion but transferred to the 49th Battalion in Egypt ON 27 February 1916. | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3088, 9th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 3088, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Brisbane | |
| 27 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, 49th Infantry Battalion, Taken on strength of 9th Battalion AIF on 7 January 1916 at Tel-El-Kebir in Egypt and then transferred to 49th Battalion AIF. | |
| 6 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3088, 49th Infantry Battalion, Embarked from Alexandria for Marseilles, France, on HMT Arcadian. | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3088, 49th Infantry Battalion, Arrived at Strazeele in Northern France and in reserve for the front line in the Armentieres sector. | |
| 13 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 49th Infantry Battalion, Left Strazeele for the Somme on 13 July 1916. At Rubempre in early August and moved to Albert on 6 August 1916 and then into the trenches at Tara Hill on 7 August 1916. Left Tara Hill on 13 August 1916 to the front line about one kilometre south of Pozieres. Frank was hit in the forehead by a fragment of artillery shell and killed instantly on 14 August 1916 when in a support trench at Tower Hill at a place known as the Chalk Pits. He was buried about 20 yards to the left of an orchard in Pozieres and his grave marked. His gravesite was subsequently lost and he has no known grave. | |
| 14 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 3088, 49th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3088 awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-14 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Greg Towner
Frank McKinnon's mother was nurse Catherine (Kate) McKinnon of Maclean, but his father is unknown. He was raised by his mother's younger sister Elizabeth, presumably because of his mother's commitment as a nurse which required her to live with the patient or patients and do the housework.
Frank commenced work as an apprentice jeweller with Wicks and Co of Lismore and then subsequently in Maclean. He enlisted in Lismore on 12 August 1915 at age 19 years and 9 months. He indicated he had over 4 years military service as a volunteer, 2 years as a senior cadet and over 2 years with the CMF with the 12th Infantry. He was 177 cm tall, weighed 59 kg and had a dark complexion, greenish-grey eyes and brown hair.
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