Wallis, Frederick Reuben

37711 Gunner Frederick Reuben Wallis - 3rd Field Artillery Brigade

Frederick Reuben Wallis was born in Fremantle on the 10th April 1880 to John and Emma Wallis. He was one of nine siblings born into the family, with Levi (1874), Lucy (1877), Edward (1880), David (1882), Anna (1884), Theodore (1887), Frank (1892) and Emily (1897).

After Fred's birth in Fremantle, the family moved to the hills, firstly to Carmel, then Walliston and then Gooseberry Hill. Fred's father worked as a farmer and an orchardist.

In 1905 Fred married Kate Winifred Edwards and they would have four children, Edna (1905), John (1908), Percy (1910) and Freda (1915).

In 1910 Fred was listed as a farmer and was living with his family at Canning Mills Kalamunda.

On the 30th September 1916 Fred enlisted into the AIF. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height  - 5 feet 9 inches;

Weight - 173lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-39 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Light Brown.

After his successful enlistment he was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and assigned to No.91 Training Depot. While he was here Fred was allotted to the Artillery reinforcements and went to Maribyrnong Camp in Victoria to continue his training.

Fred remained in Victoria training through most of 1917. He had been hospitalised with rheumatism which hampered his departure for several months. He was eventually posted to the 30th Reinforcements of the Field Artillery which left Melbourne aboard the transport ship Port Sydney on the 9th November 1917. He disembarked at Suez on the 12th December 1917 and boarded another troopship which then took him to Taranto Italy on the 22nd December 1917. The ship then went to England and Fred disembarked on the 4th January 1918.

He was then disembarked and was sent to the Royal British Artillery base at Heytesbury where he trained in preparation of being sent to the Western Front.

On the 13th March 1918 he was sent to Sutton Veny hospital ill with influenza, but soon recovered and returned to base camp on the 2nd April 1918.

Fred remained in England for the next several months and didn't go to France until the 1st October 1918. After his arrival in France he had a few days at the Artillery Base Depot at Rouelles but was then taken on strength of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade on the 11th October 1918.

The 3rd Field Artillery Brigade had just come out of the line and were about to have a rest period. A month later the Armistice was signed.

Fred remained with the 3rd FA Bde for the next several months with the unit going to what had been German occupied areas of France and Belgium.  Fred remained here until the 5th May 1919 when he was returned to England.

On the 25th June 1919 Fred boarded the transport ship Kongin Louise and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 26th August 1919.

After being discharged Fred returned to his property at Walliston and remained there till the 1950's.

Fred died in 1961 at Walliston WA and was buried in Guildford Cemetery