Holloway, Frederick William

3536 Private Frederick William Holloway - 51st Battalion AIF

Frederick William Holloway was born in Fremantle in 1891 to Joseph and Mary Holloway. He had several siblings, Mary (1874), James (1876), Emma (1877), Joseph (1880), Alice (1882), Walter (1885), Frances (1886), Florence (1888), William (1893) and Ernest (1897).

The family were living at 83 Solomon Street Beaconsfield. (now 47 Solomon Street)

Fred was educated locally and after leaving school he took up an apprenticeship as a Slaughterman with Connor, Doherty and Durack. They were located at Robbs Jetty South Fremantle. The apprenticeship was of five years duration and after finishing this five years he continued to work for the company.

On the 27th September 1915 Fred enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 inches tall;

Weight - 120lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Green;

Hair - Light;

Distinctive Marks - Tattoos of star and birds on one arm, bullocks heads on other arm and eagle head and anchor on forearm.

Fred had listed his father as his next of kin, but sadly his father died on the 15th October 1915, so his next of kin was changed to his mother.

When his father died Fred was at No.31 Depot Camp at Blackboy Hill Camp. Fred was able to return home for the funeral. When he returned to camp Fred was transferred into No.4 Depot Battalion.

On the 1st November 1915 Fred was transferred into the 8th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA over the next two months.

On the 17th January 1916 Fred and his group went to Fremantle Harbour and boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda, and set sail for Egypt. After arriving there three weeks later the men were disembarked and sent into the training camps.

As the 28th Battalion was at it's full complement of numbers, Fred was transferred to the newly forming 51st Battalion AIF on the 3rd March 1916. He trained with them in Egypt for the next few months. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion left Egypt and proceeded on a troopship for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.

Fred and his Battalion were then entrained north to the Armentieres sector of France. They would have their first taste of trench life on the Western Front near Bois Greiner and Estaires. The 51st Battalion, as part of the 4th Division only remained in this area for a few weeks.

Fred fell ill and had been sent to the New Zealand Field Ambulance on the 24th June and remained there for five days but then returned to his unit. In July 1916 the 51st Battalion were sent to the Somme battlefield where they would take part in the offensive taking place there.

On the 14th-16th August 1916 the 51st Battalion took part in an advance towards Mouquet Farm. Some of the Battalion managed to capture a German trench but with no support coming the men had to withdraw. During the assault Fred was hit by shrapnel in the foot and arm.

After being initially patched up at the Field Ambulance, Fred was sent to No.23 General Hospital at Etaples. He was a patient there for a few weeks but on the 9th September 1916 was shipped to England. He was then admitted to a military hospital in Reading.

On the 3rd November 1916 Fred was then transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. He was given a two week furlough on the 7th November and then would report to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham once his furlough was over.

On the 31st December 1916 Fred returned to France and was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot camp at Etaples. After four days there Fred came down ill with mumps and was admitted to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. He was there for a few weeks and returned to the Base Depot Camp on the 28th January 1917.

Fred was then given a few days leave but he overstayed his leave by four days and was punished with 28 days of Field Punishment No.1. It is unclear if this punishment was carried out as Fred rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 12th February 1917.

He was with the 51st battalion when they served at the action at Noreuil on the 2nd April 1917 however after this battle Fred absented himself from his unit. From the 4th April to 9th June 1917 Fred disappeared from his unit. However when he reappeared he was sent to a court martial where he was charged with desertion. He pleaded not guilty and was found not guilty of the more serious charge of desertion but guilty of going absent without leave. He was sentenced to 90 days of Field Punishment No.1

To exacerbate matters on the 3rd July 1917 Fred refused to carry out an order given by a senior officer. He pleased not guilty but was found guilty. He was sentenced to 15 years of penal servitude but this was downgraded by the 4th Division Commander to 2 years of indentured hard labour.

His prison sentence did not begin straight away as he was diagnosed with venereal disease and was sent to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre. After recovering he was sent to No.3 Military Prison at Le Havre on the 5th October 1917.

Fred remained at No.3 Military prisoner until August 1918. His sentence was commuted and he returned to the 51st Battalion on the 19th August 1918.

On the 12th September 1918 Fred was injured in his left hand and he was away from his unit in hospital until after the Armistice.

On the 19th November 1918 Fred rejoined with 51st Battalion. He served with them through to April 1919.

On the 8th April 1919 Fred returned to England to await being assigned a transport ship home. On the 4th June 1919 he boarded the ship Bremen and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 18th July 1919.

Fred was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical checkup. He was then discharged from the AIF and resumed his work as a slaughterman.

Shortly after his return his mother died on the 14th August 1919.

In 1920 he married in Fremantle in 1920 to Elizabeth Adelina Dean. They were living at 53 Stirling Street in Fremantle.

His sister Florence died in 1925 and was followed by his brother ernest on the 20th September 1931.

In the 1930's Fred had moved to  Swan street North Fremantle and lived there till the 1940's.

Frederick Holloway died on the 23rd May 1950 aged 60. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON AA 0907.