Renner, Frederick Emil
Lieutenant Frederick Emil Renner - 51st Battalion AIF
Frederick Emil Renner was born in Albany WA in 1892 to Frederick August and Mary Agnes Renner. He had five siblings, Elizabeth (1890), Robert (1893), James (1895), Ernest (1898) and Jack (1903).
Fred had his early years in Albany and was educated there. The family then moved up to Fremantle and then Cottesloe Beach (Mosman Park). Sadly Fred's father died at home at Cottesloe Beach in 1913.
Fred was working in Fremantle prior to the Great War and then found work as a Commercial Traveller for Patterson and Co Ltd. He spent time at Northam and other country areas for his company.
Fred was also a member of the Fremantle Swimming Club and played football for North Fremantle.
On the 11th May 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 10 inches;
Weight - 160lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - dark.
Upon his successful enlistment, Fred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA until the 16th June 1915 when hew as transferred to the 8th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion.
Fred undertook further training with this group while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These finally came through and on the 2nd September 1915 Fred and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Anchises in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.
After their arrival in Egypt Fred was sent into the AIF reinforcements camp but did not remain there long as by October 1915 he was on Gallipoli. On the 6th November 1915 he was evacuated with mumps and sent to hospital on Lemnos Island. On the 12th December he rejoined his unit on Lemnos.
As Gallipoli was being evacuated the 11th Battalion was returned to Egypt in January 1916. Fred was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.
On the 29th February 1916 Fred was transferred to the newly forming 51st Battalion AIF and on the 8th March was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
Fred would train for the next three months with this unit in Egypt. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion left Egypt aboard the troopship Ivernia and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.
After their arrival in France the 51st Battalion were sent north to the region around Armentieres where they had their first experience of trench life on the Western Front. However they didn't spend long in this area and by July 1916 were heading for the Somme Battlefield. In August and September 1916 the 51st Battalion participated in two actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. Casualties were heavy but fortunately Fred came through unscathed.
On the 18th August 1916 Fred had been promoted to the rank of Company Sergeant Major.
The 51st Battalion spent the 1916/17 winter on the Somme battlefield near Flers. In February 1917 Fred was granted a reprieve from front line service when he was seconded for duty to the 13th Training battalion at Codford Camp in England.
(Photo below is labelled Fremantle mates however only three are identified- Fred Renner is back row on right, Joe Burns is back row left and Charlie Comben is front row on left)
Fred was now on the staff at the 13th Training battalion and would be teaching infantry tactics and other instruction to the recruits before they headed for France. During his time in England Fred attended courses at the Chelsea School of Instruction.
Fred was in England for six months and returned to France on the 18th September 1917. He spent a week at the 4th Division Base Depot at Etaples then rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 30th September 1917 in Belgium.
The 51st Battalion were then in the midst of the Third Battle of Ypres and had seen action at Polygon Wood. Fred rejoined his unit in time to see action around Zonnebeke and Broodseinde Ridge. Fortunately Fred survived these actions unscathed.
The 51st Battalion spent November in Belgium, but in December were transferred to the vicinity of Peronne, where they had Christmas and New Year of 1917.
In 1918 the 51st Battalion as part of the 4th Division returned to Belgium where they went into the line not far from Ypres. They remained in this sector until late March 1918. On the 21st March 1918 the Germans broke through the Third and Fifth British Armies to the south and were making quick time for Amiens. The 3rd and 4th Australian Divisions were the first two Australian units sent south to the Somme to combat this threat. While the 4th Brigade was posted to Hebuterne, the 12th and 13th Brigades continued on to Dernancourt where they came into contact with the advancing Germans.
In late March and early April 1918 the men of the 12th and 13th Brigades were severely tested by the Germans. On April 4th/5th the 51st Battalion were initially in reserve when the Germans launched their large assault on the Dernancourt sector but were eventually brought into the fight. Casualties were high on both sides, but the German assault was resisted, with only a small section of ground taken by them. The 13th Brigade was then relieved from this front and was sent south to near Villers-Bretonneux.
On April 25th 1918 the Germans launched another assault on Villers-Bretonneux and managed to push back the British troops who were then holding the village. This village was crucial to the defence of Amiens so a counter attack was called for, the responsibility for which was given to the 13th and 15th Brigades. The counter attack was successful, with both Brigades largely encircling the village. The 51st had high casualties from German fire coming from a nearby Wood, which was overcome by a brave small party led by Lt Clifford Sadlier and Sgt Charlie Stokes. Lt Sadlier was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions, but inexplicably, Stokes, who participated in the action for a longer period, was only awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Fred survived this action with the 51st Battalion and were then sent to a support trench at Villers-Bretonneux. The Battalion remained in the Villers Bretonneux sector for the next few months.
On the 16th July 1918 Fred was sent to England to attend an Officers Cadet Course at Rhyl in Wales. This training course took Fred through to the end of the war. He finished the course in January 1919 and was then promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant.
On the 25th January 1919 Fred returned to France and rejoined the 51st Battalion. With the war now over, the Australians were sent to garrison areas of France and Belgium that had been under German occupation.
On the 4th March 1919 Fred was given several days leave to Paris. On his return to his unit Fred was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
Fred Renner would be with the 51st Battalion when it was finally dissolved. Fred was there when the 51st Battalion began and was also there on it's last day.
Fred returned to England on the 21st May 1919 and was sent to a AIF camp to await being assigned a berth on a troopship home.
In July 1919 Fred boarded the transport ship Orsova and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 28th August 1919.
He was then discharged from the AIF on the 27th October 1919.
He resumed work for Patterson and Co and was sent to the Dutch East Indies to see if new businesses could be established there for his company. Fred then returned to WA.
In 1922 Fred married Gwladys Fairthorne Lukey in Claremont and a son Gordon was born in 1923 and a daughter Joyce.
The family then resided at Chester Road Claremont. Fred worked in Machinery Sales and soon became a Manager for his Company.
Through the 1930's he was Commodore of the Claremont Yacht Club.
In World War Two Fred offered his services again and was accepted. He was assigned the regimental number W66839. He initially served with the 8th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps. He initially had the rank of Lieutenant but after attending an officer's course in Melbourne, Fred was promoted to Major, and was sent to No.1 Battalion Volunteer defence Corps in WA. On the 8th January 1943 Fred was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and he then commanded the 1st Battalion VDC. Fred was discharged in April 1944.
Frederick Emil Renner died on the 22nd August 1951 at his house in Canning Road in Melville aged 59. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.