Frederick George Golding

Frederick George Golding

photo courtesy Ancestry.com
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1887
Place of Birth	Perth, Western Australia
Death	23 Feb 1921, aged 33
Place of Death	Perth, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	29 years, 5 months
Description	5'10" (1.78m) tall ; 160 lbs 72.575 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Blacksmith
Religion	Church of England
Address	Jarrahdale Mills, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Affra Emmery Golding
Military Information
Reg Number	986
Date of Enlistment	28 Aug 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	Railway Unit, Section 3
Date of Embarkation	29 Jan 1917 ‒ 27 Mar 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Date of Return	19 Jan 1919 ‒ 24 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A38 Ulysses
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Jarrahdale Honour Roll ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

'George' married Afra Ethel Vance in Jarrahdale early in 1909. Children Stanley G b. 1913; Nellie E b.1915; and Reta M b. 1920.

War Service

A week after Fred entered Blackboy Hill camp he was made a trooper with the 6th Depot Squadron. However on 3 Jan 1917, with the need to raise railway units to support he Western Front, Fred was reallocated to the Railway Corps.

A blacksmith by trade, the military recognised his worth and appointed him a blacksmith within the railways unit on 18 Jan 1917. As a blacksmith he was paid 8/- (80 cents) per day (6/- [60 cents] per day for a private), and initially trained with the 3rd Railway Section of the 59th Railway Company (later to become the 5th Australian Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company).

During the voyage to England he was admitted to the Militiades hospital from 18 - 24 Apr 1917. On arrival in England they are sent to the St Lucia Barracks at Borden to undertake further railway based training. While there he was admitted ill to hospital from 18 - 25 Apr 1917, and the unit war diary lists him as one of the men that they left behind when it departed for France on 11 May 1917. Fred's individual record has him rejoining the unit in France on 29 Sep 1917.

Initially the unit was responsible for the sharp end of the 'Midland Line' which carried and men and supplies in the Ypres area of Belgium. During the time the unit serviced the Midland Line, Fred was hospitalised from 25 - 29 Sep 1917 and from 24 - 25 Oct 1917, the later occasion with trench feet. On 4 Dec 1917 he was promoted to Acting Corporal, but on 9 Feb 1918 he reverted to Blacksmith.

As the front moved forward during 1917, so did the unit's base of operations. However, following the major German attack in March 1918, they unit was moved from Peselhoek further from the front lines to Audruicq, 16 kilometres from Calais on the Calais to St Omer line. During this time Fred was enjoying a fortnight's leave in England.

Granted Paris leave from 27 Jul- 3 Aug 1918, but on 25 Sep 1918 he fell foul of the law and was charged with - Failing to attend a place of parade, ordered by his superior officer. Booked to be on duty at 5:30am, he was 1 hour 10 mins late for work - train left 45 mins late on 5 Sep 1918. Awarded the loss of 7 days pay.

On 9 Dec 1918 he was transferred to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth, England for a Medical Board, which confirmed the need to send Fred back to Australia. Returned, he spent 13 - 19 Feb 1918 in in Fremantle' No 8 General Hospital from 13 - 19 Feb 1919 with influenza.

Discharged 2 Apr 1919

Post War

Council Employee Electrocuted.-While working at the top of an electric light pole at the corner of Stirling and Parry streets yesterday morning, James Golding (33), a linesman, in the employ of the Perth City Council. came in contact with live wires, and received a shock of such voltage that he died upon admission to the Perth Public Hospital. It appears that the deceased, who was married, and resided at 265 James street, was standing on a ladder at the top of the pole, between two sets of wires,

the inner lines being covered by bags, as a precaution against shock. Deceased's work mates observed him hanging on the wires with his feet off the ladder, about 30 feet from the ground. He was alive when removed from that position, but died upon arrival at the hospital. A large burn was noticeable upon deceased's left arm, near the elbow, and another on the right arm near the wrist. An inquest will be formally opened this morning.

GOLDING.--On February 23, accidentally killed Frederick George, late of Jarrahdale, dearly beloved husband of Ethel, and dear dadda of Stanley, Nellie, and Reta. aged 33 years. Deeply mourned.

Mr. Jesse Golding, of. Woolwich-street, Leederville, writes:--"In the account of the accidental death of my son, published in last Thursday's issue, his name was given incorrectly. I shall be obliged if you will kindly state that it was Frederick George Golding, and that he was better known as George."

Address at the time of his death was 230 James street, Perth. Buried at Karrakatta Cemetery, in the Anglican area, Section FC, gravesite 0215A

Afra Ethel remarried in 1923 to James Curnow in Perth, and Nellie married Kenneth M Marriott in 1936.

Notes

Pay book Number 210132 Further details of Fred's war experience can be deduced from "The Cold Footed Mob - A History of the 5th Australian Broad gauge Railway Operating Company" by Tom Goode, Hesperian Press, 2016

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial