Colless, Frederick Joscelyn

No.1194 – Sergeant Frederick Joscelyn Colless – 32^nd Battalion AIF

Frederick Joscelyn Colless was born in Bourke NSW in 1880 to Joseph and Mary Colless. He was educated at a NSW State School and after leaving school, worked as a tram employee and also as a Commercial Traveller.

When he was 20 Fred served in the Boer War in South Africa with “A” Battery of the NSW Artillery. He was in South Africa for over a year and served with the Battery for the total of three years and was involved in their activities in NSW at the turn of the century.

Fred was able to leave this military service as he wanted to explore his options in WA and on arriving settled in Kalgoorlie. In 1905 he married Annie Jenetta Onn and they would go on to have three children; Phoebe in 1905; John in 1908 and Oswald in 1910. They would later set up residence in Wood St East Fremantle.

On the 31^st July 1915, Fred went and offered his services to the AIF and was passed as fit. The medical examiner found Fred to be 5 feet 6 inches in height; weight of 144 lbs; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; dark complexion, grey eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Initially allotted to No.24 Depot Company, on the 1^st September 1915 he was assigned to “D” Company of the newly forming 32^nd Battalion AIF with the regimental No.1194. On the 8^th September he was promoted to Corporal and on the 21^st September 1915 to Lance Sergeant. As the other half of the battalion were South Australians, the two Western Australian Companies travelled to Adelaide to join them to complete their training. The completed their training here and left in late November 1915.

After arriving in Egypt, the battalion would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but as the peninsula was now being evacuated the 32^nd Battalion, was given a task for the defence of the Suez Canal while the 8^th Brigade joined together for the first time. On the 18^th January Fred was sent to hospital so his dental deficiencies could be fixed, returning on the 31^st January. The 32^nd Battalion would train and form part of the defence line on the Suez Canal for the first six months of 1916. In March 1916 the 8^th Brigade became part of the new 5^th Division AIF.

On the 29^th March Fred was sent to the 2^nd Casualty Clearing Station ill and then to the 1^st Australian Stationary Hospital where he was diagnosed with balanitis, but soon returned for duty. On 11^th April 1916 Fred visited hospital for a circumcision but his stay in hospital was short as he returned on the 12^th April.

On the 26^th May 1916 Fred was promoted to Sergeant and on the 17^th June 1916 left Alexandria on a transport ship bound for France.

Arriving at Marseilles on the 23^rd June, Fred was sent up to the north of France on a train and they arrived near Armentieres at a place called Fleurbaix. The units of the 5^th Division relieved the 4^th Division though some men had not even been to the front line before the 5^th Division were ordered to take part in an attack at Fromelles.

The 32^nd Battalion was on the flank and was severely hit by German fire but managed to capture the enemy positions but the Germans were able to work around the Australians and surround the 32^nd Battalion. Many men made a break for it back to their own lines but only a few returned. Just over a hundred answered the battalion’s roll call after the attack.

During the attack it was reported that Fred was seriously wounded by a German bomb between the first and second German lines, with varying accounts saying that one or both legs were blown off or severely damaged.

After the Germans recaptured their position, they evacuated the wounded to hospital. Fred was taken back to Lille and managed to cling on to life for a few days despite his horrendous injuries. On the 23^rd July 1916 he died in a German Hospital in Lille.

He was buried in the hospital graveyard but after the war was exhumed and made the short journey to Lille Southern Cemetery plot III.A.35

In World War Two, both his sons served, John becoming a Major in the 28^th Battalion CMF and Oswald being awarded the Military Medal with the 2/16^th Battalion AIF. (article about Oswald below)