Folland, Malvern Plympton

No.3933 – Trooper Malvern Plympton Folland – Imperial Camel Corps

Malvern Plympton Folland was born in East Fremantle (Plympton) in 1896 to Clement and Agnes Folland. He was educated in the local state school but went with the family when they moved to Williams. Here Malvern worked as a farm labourer and also became a member of the rifle club. Malvern had tried to enlist earlier in the war but had been rejected due to a hernia. After an operation the hernia was fixed and Malvern went to the Perth Drill Hall to enlist again. On the 1^st August 1917 he was accepted into the AIF with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 7 inches tall; weight of 140lbs; chest measurement of 33-36 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Methodist.

Malvern was initially allotted to D3 Depot where he remained until the 4^th September 1917. He was then transferred to the Depot Squadron of the Light Horse where he remained until the 23^rd September. On the 24^th September he was assigned to the 32^nd Reinforcements to the 10^th Light Horse Regiment. He trained with this group for a further month; however on the 24^th October Malvern was transferred to the 15^th Camel Corps Reinforcements. He trained with is group for another two weeks. Both the Light Horse and Camel Corps Reinforcements embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Commonwealth” on the 9^th November 1917. After the long sea voyage their ship pulled into Suez on the 10^th December 1917.

On the 11^th December 1917 Malvern was taken on strength of the Anzac Base Depot Company at Abbassia, where he was posted to the Camel Corp Reserve Company. He remained here until February 1918 when he was transferred to his unit. On the 24^th February 1918 Malvern was taken on strength of No.2 Company of the 1^st Battalion Imperial Camel Corps at Rafa. He served with this company for the next six weeks in the Jordan Valley in the vicinity of Es Salt. Unfortunately during an attack on the 11^th April 1918 Malvern was killed in action. He was buried the same day at “Musselabeh one mile due south besides track”. The burial service for Malvern was conducted by Chaplain A.S. Houston.

After the war was over Malvern’s grave was exhumed and he was buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery in plot H.56.