Edward Charles (Ted) Fancote

Edward Charles (Ted) Fancote

Personal Information
Date of Birth	1 December 1908
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	3 June 1987, aged 78
Place of Death	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	31 years
Address	Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	, U. Fancote
Military Information
Reg Number	WX1140
Date of Enlistment	4 December 1939
Rank	Signaller
Unit/Formation	2nd/11th (City of Perth) Australian Infantry Battalion
Date of Embarkation	20 April 1940 ‒ 17 May 1940
Ship Embarked On	HMT Y3 Nevasa Fremantle to El Kantara, Egypt
Fate	POW Returned to Australia

Edward Charles (Ted) Fancote

Headstone Information
Date of Birth	01 December 1908
Age at Death	79 years
Additional Names	Charles Fancote Caroline Fancote Sarah Alice Fancote Thomas Fancote Lila Jean Fancote
Transcription	Charles beloved husband of Caroline Fancote. Died: 24thOctober1899. Age: 72 Years.Also Caroline dearly beloved wife of the above. Who departed this life 13 September 1915. Age: 66 years. Also Sarah Alice beloved daughter of the above. Died: 20 November 1900. Age: 13 Years. Also Thomas beloved son of the above Died: 1 April 1903. 29 Age: Years. God takes the loved one from our homes but never from our hearts. But never from our hearts. Also Edward Charles Fancote grandson of Charles and Caroline. Loved husband of Jean father of Leslie, Rodney, Beverley. Died: 3RD June 1987. Age: 78 Years. Our Loved one at rest also Lila Jean Fancote. Loved wife of Ted. Died: 10 February 1999.Age: 81 Years. Together in Gods garden.

War Service

After arriving in the Middle East, the 2/11th trained in Palestine and Egypt. A decision to reorganise Australian infantry brigades along British lines, with three battalions instead of four, meant the 2/11th was now part of the 19th Brigade, but it remained part of the 6th Division. The battalion went into action for the first time at Bardia on 5 Jan 1941 and, as part of the Allied advance into Italian-occupied Libya, subsequently fought at Tobruk on 21-22 Jan 1941, and to secure Derna airfield on 25 Jan 1941. It was advancing to the south of Benghazi when the Italians surrendered on 7 Feb 1941.

On 10 Apr 1941 they embarked in Alexandria harbour for Greece. The Allied forces, however, were unable to hold back the attacking Germans. The 2/11th withdrew from its initial positions at Kalabaka and remained on the move until it occupied rearguard positions at Brallos Pass a week later. It fought and slowed the Germans there on 24 April and then continued its withdrawal to Megara, where it was evacuated by sea on the night of 25 Apr 1941. The battalion landed on Crete the next day. It was subsequently deployed with the 2/1st Battalion to defend Retimo airfield, which was held tenaciously for ten days following the landing of German paratroops on 20 May. German successes elsewhere on Crete, however, made surrender inevitable. Many 2/11th soldiers attempted to escape from Crete but only a relatively small number ultimately succeeded; most were taken prisoner