Briggs, Francis and Fred
No.778 – Corporal Francis Briggs – 12th Battalion AIF
The Briggs brothers were born in the Kimberley in South Africa to Francis John & Ruth Briggs, Francis in 1893 and Fred in 1892. Their first ten years were spent in South Africa and then the family moved to England. Another six years were spent here before they decided to move to Australia. Fred was 14 and Francis 16 when they arrived in Western Australia and the family decided to take up residence in the port city, their house being at 23 Lily Street Fremantle.
The family became involved in the local community with a strong attachment to the Church of England parish of St Paul’s Beaconsfield. Fred soon found work with the WA Government Railways as a Locomotive Fireman, while Francis took up work as a labourer. Though he was the younger brother, Francis was the first to enlist. He presented himself to the recruiting office on the 14th September 1914. Dr Edward Brennan of Fremantle Hospital and later the 11th Battalion medical officer; gave Francis a medical examination and he was found to be 20 years and 11 months old; 5 feet 7 inches in height; weight of 140 lbs; chest measurement of 36 inches; fair complexion; light brown eyes and brown hair. He was passed as fit and assigned to G Company of the 12th Battalion AIF. Western Australia provided two companies, G & H to the 12th battalion, though when the Company structure was reformed, these two companies became D Company. Tasmanians would form A & B Companies while South Australia would form C Company.
Upon embarkation, Francis’s Company was under the command of Captain Joseph Lalor, and they left Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Medic” on the 2nd November 1914. The Briggs family was among the large crowd to see Francis off on his journey, no doubt with the hope that he would soon be back on these shores. After their sea journey to Egypt the men disembarked and took up camp at Mena near Cairo. They trained here until early March 1915, when the 3rd Brigade Battalions were shipped off to Lemnos Island as they had been picked to make the initial landing for the Australians. While at Lemnos the Australians largely lived on their transport ships but practiced their disembarkations into the whalers and smaller ships and also went for route marches around the island.
When word finally came through regarding the landing, the 9th, 10th and 11th Battalions were to make the initial assault and the 12th Battalion Companies would be split among these other units to provide support. Francis’s D Company would be supporting the 11th Battalion. In the early morning of April 25th, the 11th Battalion landed in the vicinity of Anzac Cove to North Beach and D Company of the 12th in the same area and the men were split quite widely while advancing up the hills. The 12th’s commanding officer Colonel Clarke was killed after climbing the heights, but his men pressed on. What happened to Frank is unclear and there are various reports as to his death. On the 3rd February 1916 Pte H.R. Stanley of D Company stated that
‘one day between April 29th and May 2nd at Anzac near Quinn’s Post he was in the trenches and saw Briggs shot in the head. He was dead’.
A few years later a Lieutenant H Lambert MC stated that he was an eyewitness to Brigg’s death;
‘saw him hit by a sniper through the head on Monday April 26th 1915. He died immediately and without much suffering. This was in the centre of the line at Lone Pine.’
Other statements by 12th battalion men in later years referred to Francis serving in France but these reports were clearly mistaken. What is certain is that Cpl Francis Briggs was not among the men when the 12th Battalion mustered on the beach a week or so after landing.
Concerned over the conflicting reports, Francis’s father did his own searching for information from returning 12th battalion men. As Francis’s disc had been returned to him surely there had to be someone with more information as to his fate. Corporal James Cruthers who knew Briggs well, last saw him on the beach at Anzac soon after landing, as did a Private Mason. No other exact information ever came through so Cpl Francis Briggs was listed as killed in action on the 25th April 1915. His body was not recovered after the war and so he is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. His father would receive a pension of 15/- per fortnight.
No.2601A – Pte Frederick William Briggs – 51st Battalion AIF
When news came through to the Briggs family about Francis being missing believed killed, it seems that Frederick made the decision to also enlist. He went to the recruitment office in early August 1915 and was accepted as fit for the AIF. The medical examiner found Fred to be 5 feet 9 ¼ inches in height; weight of 138 lbs; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and fair hair. After a few weeks in No.23 Depot at Blackboy Hill Camp, Fred was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion with the regimental number 2601. This group trained in WA until their departure from Fremantle on the H.M.A.T. “Ulysses” on the 2nd November 1915. After their arrival in Egypt they could not join their unit as the 28th were still on Gallipoli and they were not sent on their as the peninsula was going to be evacuated. It seems the men were therefore kept at the 7th Training battalion at Zeitoun Egypt.
Fred never did join the 28th Battalion as on the expansion of the AIF he was sent to join the 51st Battalion, part of the 13th Brigade, 4th Division. The 51st Battalion trained in Egypt until early June 1916 when the men of the 51st embarked at Alexandria bound for Marseilles. Upon arrival in France on the 12th June, the 51st Battalion was sent up to Armentieres to acclimatize to trench life of the Western Front. Frank was reportedly a crack shot with a rifle so he was put on sniping duties. After their arrival the 51st Battalion had a constant stream of casualties to shell fire and on the 5th July 1916 Fred was killed by shrapnel. The Germans had launched a heavy barrage in retaliation for a trench raid made from a neighbouring sector and the 51st Battalion had 10 men killed and 27 wounded. Fred was taken back and buried at Rue du Bois Cemetery in Plot I.E.12 and a service was given by Reverend W.E. Cargill.
The Briggs family; by now living in Edmund Street South Fremantle were given this sad news, though if there was one consolation it was at least that they knew where Fred was buried. Francis Briggs would receive a fortnightly pension after his son’s death of 25/-.