Braithwaite, Frederick

14994 Private Frederick William Braithwaite - 15th Field Company Engineers

Frederick William Braithwaite was born in Surrey England on the 15th October 1891 to Frederick and Harriet Braithwaite. A brother George was born in 1892 but sadly died shortly after birth. Another son called Albert was born in 1895 followed by Harry in 1897.

The family lived in Lambeth London and sadly in 1899 his mother died on the 14th May 1899 and was followed by his father the following year in April 1900. Fred and his siblings were then brought up by relations. In 1911 he was living at Lambeth and working as a carpenter.

Frederick moved to Australia in 1912 and took up residence at Victoria Avenue North Fremantle. He found work locally as a Carpenter and during this time also served in the local Citizens Military Forces with the 22nd Field Ambulance of the Australian Army Medical Corps.

With the outbreak of the Great War, Frederick was assigned for duty at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle. He worked there from 1914 to 1916. On the 16th February 1916 in Fremantle Frederick enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for enlistment with the medical officer recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 9 inches;

Weight - 138lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Fair.

Upon his successful enlistment Leonard was surpassingly not destined for the Australian Army medical corps despite his previous years working at No.8 AGH. Due to his carpentry skills he was instead assigned as a Sapper to the Field Company Engineers. After a short period of time in WA he was sent to NSW to complete his training.

On the 30th September 1916 Frederick embarked from Sydney aboard the transport ship HMAT Aeneas. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 19th November 1916.

After arriving in England the men were disembarked and were initially sent to No.3 Camp at Parkhouse before being transferred to the Engineers Training Camp at Brightlingsea. Frederick had a few months training at Brightlingsea Camp and it wasn't until the 4th March 1917 that he left England and proceeded to France.

Upon arriving at Etaples he was set to the Australian Depot Camp. His time in this base depot camp was extended due to his falling ill with tonsilitis. After a few weeks in the camp hospital he was then released and on the 21st April 1917 joined the 15th Field Company Engineers.

According to the Australian War Memorial, their responsibilities included constructing the lines of defence, temporary bridges, tunnels and trenches, observation posts, roads, railways, communication lines, buildings of all kinds, showers and bathing facilities, and other material and mechanical solutions to the problems associated with fighting in all theatres.

The 15th FCE were part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division AIF. When Fred joined them the 15th FCE were about to take part in the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917. He survived this battle unscathed and after this action the 5th Division were withdrawn from the line for a three month rest period. Much of this time was taken up with training and sporting activities.

In September 1917 the 5th Division returned to action, heading into Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. The 15th Field Company were heavily involved for the next few months at Ypres and closer to the front line at Glencourse Wood, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Broodseinde Ridge. Despite the large number of casualties in the unit, Frederick came through unscathed.

From November 1917 to March 1918 the unit continued to operate in Belgium. In 1918 they were situated south east of Ypres and north west of Messines.

As a result of the German Spring Offensive which broke through the British line further south in France, the Australian Divisions were sent south to help stop the German advance. The 5th Division were stretched around the Somme and the vicinity of Amiens.

Fred had been given two weeks leave on the 16th March 1918 so was in England when the Germans attacked. When he returned to France on the 4th April 1918 he joined his unit at Blangy Tronville.

Fortunately the German advance was stopped and the Australians and Germans had a largely static line from April 1918 to July 1918. The 15th Brigade took part in the recapture of Villers-Bretonneux on the 25th April 1918 and they remained in this sector for the next few months. The Germans launched many artillery bombardments and gas attacks in the area where Fred and the 15th Field Company Engineers were located.

On the 12th July 1918 Fred was sent to hospital ill though whether it was a result of the constant German gas attacks is not mentioned. He was sent to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen but only spent a few days there and was then transferred to England.

On arrival in England Fred was sent to the 4th London General Hospital. He spent eleven days there, then on the 30th July 1918 was transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford.

After recovering from his illness, Fred was then attached for duty with the 1st ADH which put his carpentry skills to good use. He remained on duty with them through to 1919.

Fred remained in England for several more months catching up with family and friends. On the 9th July 1919 he married Margaret Henderson at the Church of St Mary at Belford Northumberland England.

They embarked in England on the 2nd December 1919 and returned to Fremantle Western Australia on the 13th January 1920, aboard the ship Shropshire. The ship brought Fred, Margaret and their newly born son Richard (born in England in 1919) home.

After their return to WA more children followed with June in 1921, Freda in 1922 and Sydney in 1923.

By this stage the family had moved to the Swan Valley and Fred was working as a vigneron.

The family remained in Middle Swan and then Maylands through the 1930's and 40's. Fred was now working as a foundry hand.

By 1963 he and Margaret had moved to Maida Vale. Margaret died in 1966 in Perth though Frederick lasted eleven more years, dying at Carlisle WA 23rd April 1977 aged 85. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Anglican ZW 0375.

(photo courtesy of family ancestry page)