Frederick William Thornton

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1894
Place of Birth	Sydney, New South Wales
Death	25 Feb 1917, aged 22
Place of Death	38th Casualty Clearing Station, near Corbie, France
Age at Enlistment	21 years, 1 month
Description	5'7" (1.m) tall; weight 154 lbs (kg); fair complexion, grey eyes, brown hair
Occupation	butcher
Religion	Church of England
Address	Port Darwin, Northern Territory
Next of Kin	Father Mr William Cane Thornton
Military Information
Reg Number	6107
Date of Enlistment	7 Feb 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	9th Battalion 19th Reinforcements transferred to 11th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements
Date of Embarkation	8 Aug 1916 - 21 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A50 Itonus to Fremantle 8 to 23 Aug 1916 HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray to Plymouth 18 Sep to 21 Nov 1916
Fate	Died of illness (Spinal Meningitis)
Monument	Jarrahdale
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Appears to have left Jarrahdale for work in Darwin.

War Service

Enlisted in Darwin and sent to Brisbane to undergo training at Chermside camp. Allocated to the 19th reinforcement draft for the 9th Battalion, trained with them and shipped out to England with them. However, when the ship departed Fremantle, he failed to re-embark. He was apprehended and was included with the 20th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion's draft on HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray.

On arrival in England was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Rollestone to prepare for service on the Western Front. Deemed ready, he proceeded overseas for France on 21 Dec 1916 aboard HMT Princesse Clementine from Folkestone.

From 22 Dec 1916 until 3 Feb 1917 he was held at the 1st Division's Base Depot in Étaples, and then on 7 Feb 1917 he joined the 11th Battalion in the field at Basentin-le-Petit where they were carrying out a range of working party duties until the afternoon of 12 Feb 1917 when they replaced the 12th Battalion in the reserve line. They spent the next eight days revetting and improving their trenches as well as carrying rations and ammunition to units to their front.

On 20 Feb 1917 Fred reported ill to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance who passed him on the same day to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station with suspected spinal meningitis. Fred died while still with the 38th CCS on 25 Feb 1917 of cerebra spinal meningitis..

• 

  Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe CWGC
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

Father and three siblings lived in Jarrahdale. "Well known at Jarrahdale

A death notice suggested that he died at London General Hospital of meningitis