Feltham, Frederick Octavius

No.3423 – Private Frederick Octavius Feltham – 44^th Battalion AIF

Frederick Octavius Feltham was born in Fremantle in 1880. He was educated at Fremantle Boys School and was also a member of the Citizen Military Forces. He worked as both a Horse Driver and an ironmonger in the local area. He married his wife Rosaline Battard in 1905 and they would go on to have three children; Walter, Wilfred and Dorothy. The family resided at Davies Street Beaconsfield and then just prior to his enlistment, at 78 Jenkins Street Fremantle. On the 10^th March 1917 Fred went to the Fremantle Drill Hall & enlisted into the AIF. He was passed as fit and the medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 5 inches tall; weight of 118 lbs; chest measurement of 33 – 35 inches; fair complexion; brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Wesleyan.

He spent around six weeks at the Training Depot at Blackboy Hill Camp and on the 10^th May 1917 was then allotted to the 21^st Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion. On the 8^th June he was transferred to the 8^th Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until they embarked from Fremantle Harbour on the H.M.A.T. “Borda” on the 29^th June 1917. After the long voyage to England, they docked at Plymouth Harbour on the 25^th August 1917.

Fred and his group were marched into the 11^th Training Battalion at Lark Hill Camp on the Salisbury Plains where they commenced training. Fred trained in this camp until November 1917. On the 5^th November he was transferred to the 10^th Training Battalion Camp. However Fred was soon sent to hospital suffering from Haemorrhoids. It seemed to be a severe case as it prevented him being sent to France and he was marked down for return to Australia for discharge from the AIF due to his health. On the 17^th January 1918 he was sent to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth Camp and on the 31^st January 1918 he sailed from England.

On arrival back in WA in March 1918 he was admitted to No.8 AGH in Fremantle and was treated for his illness. Unfortunately things did not seem to improve for Fred as on the 27^th May 1918 he took his own life by shooting himself at the family house in Wesley Street Beaconsfield. The coroner declared him to be temporarily insane at the time. Fred was buried in Fremantle Cemetery. His wife Rosaline died on the 11^th November 1920, leaving the children without parents. They were looked after by Fred’s Mother-in-law. Wilfred later served with the 2/7^th Field Ambulance & Walter with the 2/28^th Battalion in WW2. Both survived hostilities.