Frederick Fancote

Frederick Fancote

The Drill of the Foot-Hills 1916 Aug-Sep edition p.28
Frederick and wife Lillian Courtesy Colleen Fancote
Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1889
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	9 May 1965
Place of Death	Rockingham, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	25 years old
Description	5'7½" (1.71m) tall ; 145 lbs 65.771 kg ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Carpenter
Religion	Church of England
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Caroline Fancote
Military Information
Reg Number	200
Date of Enlistment	17 Aug 1914
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	3rd Field Company Engineers, Section 3 / 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	2 Nov 1914 ‒ 3 Dec 1914
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A7 Medic Fremantle to Alexandria
Date of Return	23 Oct 1918 ‒ 12 Dec 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Port Lyttleton Southampton to Fremantle
Fate	Wounded in Action 8 Jan 1918 Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial (West panel)
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Fred's records for service prior to Jan 1915 are missing, but it seems that from entry into Blackboy Hill camp, as a carpenter, Fred was identified for the 3rd Field Company - Engineers, and he was allocated to the 3rd Section. He travelled with them to Egypt as part of the first convoy.

On 23 Jan 1915 at Ismailia, Fred was AWOL for 2¾ hours. His unit joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Alexandria, sailing on 5 Apr 1915. At Gallipoli on 22 Sep 1915 Fred reported to the 3rd Field Ambulance sick, and was transferred to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station with dysentery. Four days later (26 Sep 1915) he was evacuated from Anzac Cove to hospital aboard HMHS Gloucester Castle and then transshipped at Mudros to the HMHS Dunluce Castle for Malta where he entered St Patrick's Hospital on 27 Sep 1915.

Returned to Mudros on HMAT A35 Berrima on 19 October and rejoined his unit on Gallipoli on the 6th Nov 1915. On 27 Dec 1915 along with the rest of his unit, he arrived back in Alexandria from Mudross and the Gallipoli Peninsula on HMT Caledonia.

Next day he reported ill, this time suffering with jaundice. He was admitted to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Ghezireh before being released to the Helouan Convalescent Depot on 4 Jan 1916. From there he reported to the Overseas Base at Ghezireh where on 18 Jan 1916 he was charged with being AWOL from 6:30pm until 10:10 pm. His punishment was three day's confined to barracks (CB).

He rejoined his unit on 20 Mar 1916 and within days faced a number of disciplinary charges as they prepared for the move to France. He failed to board the HMT Kingstonian at Alexandria on 27 Mar 1916, and was AWOL for 13 days during which time he made a false statement with regards his details to a piquet commander. Punishment for these charges was 168 hours Field Punishment No. 1, and the loss of 20 day's pay.

Shipped to France aboard the HMT Corsican, he added to his problems when he hesitated to obey an NCO's order while on submarine guard. His punishment was 48 hours Field Punishment No. 1. On arrival in France he was again in trouble, and at Sailly on 23 Jun 1916 he was charged with inattention to duty while on guard. Award was 14 days Field Punishment No. 1. Field Punishment No 1 was seldom awarded, perhaps his records should read FP No.2 (see notes).

Fred was granted leave in England from 6 Dec 1916, returning on 24 Dec 1916, and the next day he required treatment for Venereal Disease by 5th Field Ambulance who passed him to the 1st Stationery Hospital in Rouen. Here he was sent on 28 Dec 1916 for specialist attention with the 51st General Hospital in Étaples. 131 days ineffective service later he left hospital for a base depot in France on 4 May 1917. While Fred was in hospital in France, his mother had passed on, and so, his sister Mrs H Cross of Roleystone, on behalf of the family, wrote to the military authorities castigating them for not telling them that Fred has been in hospital for 2 months, demanding to know what is wrong with him. [Obviously Fred was in no hurry to enlighten them.]

Fred rejoined the 3rd Field Company on 10 May 1917, and despite all his misdemeanours was appointed Lance Corporal on 9 Sep 1917, and enjoyed 4 days leave to Paris from 25 - 29 Oct 1917. Wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his right hand on 8 Jan 1918, his unit had been busy construction strong points along the outpost line, so he may have been sniped. Treated first by the 2nd Field Ambulance, he was passed down the line to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital in Étaples. On 13 Jan 1918 Fred was transported on the HS Pieter de Coninck to England where he entered a Military Hospital in Edmonton. On 8 Feb 1918 he was released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford.

Recovering from his wound, he enjoyed another period of leave in England from 11 Feb to 25 Feb 1918, reporting back 3 hours late, for which he was admonished. Fred spent from 26 Feb until 17 Mar 1918 with the No, 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott before moving to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill on 28 Mar 1918. Fred remained in England until 4 Jun 1918 when he again proceeded overseas to France to rejoin his unit where he enjoyed acting from 31 May to 7 Jul 1918 as a Corporal. As a 1914 enlistee he was marked for early return to Australia and thus he left France on 12 Oct 1918 for England, before shipping out for Australia on 23 Oct 1918, one of the first to be sent home under the government's plan to give 1914 enlistees six months leave. SFollowing his arrival home he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 19 May 1919.

Post War

Married on 11 Aug 1920 in West Perth to Lillian Martha Williams Thorpe who was born in 1902 and who died in 1976. Both are buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.

Electoral Roll entries - 1912 - 1921 a labourer living on Perth road, Kelmscott; 1925 with Lillian at 241 Berwick street, Victoria Park a carpenter, moving that year back to Albany road Kelmscott; 1931 - 1936 back to Vic Park address; 1943 - 63 farming in Brookton at "Misty Acres" He moved to 15 Thorpe street, Rockingham before he died, and Lillian remained there until 1968. Lillian Beth (b. 3 May 1921), a daughter who served in WW2 with Regimental No WF45980

Notes

Field punishment could be awarded by a court martial or a commanding officer for any offence committed on active service.

There were two categories of field punishment. Field Punishment No 1. required the soldier to be shackled to a wheel, a tree, or similar immovable object for several hours each day.

Field punishment No. 2 consisted of heavy labouring duties. All offenders awarded field punishment would march with their unit, carry their arms and accoutrements, perform all their military duties as well as extra fatigue duties, and be treated as defaulters.

Frederick was Christened on 11 Aug 1889.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial