Connolly, Frederick William

4775 Lance Corporal Frederick William Connolly - 48th Battalion AIF

Frederick William Connolly was born in Dublin Ireland in 1893. He was educated and had his early years in Ireland.

He arrived in Western Australia in the 1900's and took up employment at Fremantle Harbour as a Lumper.

In 1913 he was living at 9 Arundel Street (later renumbered 31 Arundel) but in 1914 moved to 42 Arundel Street (later 10 Arundel), where his sister, Mrs. Hilda Stewart lived.

On the 22nd November 1915 Frederick enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 10 inches;

Weight - 137lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-38 inches;

Complexion - Ruddy;

Eyes - Hazel;

Hair - Fair;

Distinctive Marks - Tattoos of anchor on right arm and heart and dagger left arm.

After his successful enlistment Frederick was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.37 Training Depot. He spent two months in the depot training camps and on the 1st February 1916 was transferred into the 15th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. This reinforcement group were training at Belmont Camp

He had a month training with this group and on the 6th March 1916 entrained to Fremantle Harbour where he boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses. Prior to their embarkation the 15th Reinforcements had their group photo taken at Blackboy Hill.

The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in April 1916. By the time he arrived in Egypt, the 16th Battalion was at full strength so Fred was sent to the 4th Training Battalion. On the 20th May 1916 he was then transferred to the 48th Battalion AIF.

Fred only had a few weeks with his new unit in Egypt, as on the 7th June 1916 they left Egypt on a transport ship for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 14th June 1916.

The men were then entrained north for the Armentieres region. They had a few weeks here to become accustomed to life on the Western Front. However in July 1916 they were transferred to the Somme battlefield. The 48th Battalion went into the line at Pozieres on the 6th August 1916. About a week after arriving Fred was hit in the leg and thigh by shrapnel.

He was taken to the Field Ambulance and patched up and was then sent to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux. He only had a few days here before he was shipped to England on the Hospital Ship Western Australia.

On the 19th August 1916 Fred was admitted to Woodcote Park Military Hospital at Epsom. He had a month recovering here and on the 19th September 1916 was transferred to a convalescent camp.

On the 24th October 1916 Fred was then sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He spent the next few months here focusing on getting his wound better. Fred would be at Weymouth for over two months, but on the 3rd January 1917 was transferred to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham. Fred would be at Wareham until the 3rd March 1917 and was then transferred to the camp at Perham Downs.

He had two weeks at Perham Downs and on the 16th March 1917 was transferred back to France. He had a few weeks at the Base Depot Camp and then rejoined the 48th Battalion on the 6th April 1917.

Fred served at the battle of Bullecourt a week later on the 11th April 1917, and despite the large casualties his unit suffered, Fred came through unscathed.

In June 1917 the 48th Battalion were moved to Belgium where they would take part in the Messines offensive. They saw much action at Messines and were in this sector from June to August 1917. On the 26th August 1917 Fred was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal.

In September 1917, the 48th Battalion were moved to Ypres where they would take part in the current offensive. Fred and his unit saw action at Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. On the 12th October 1917 the 48th Battalion took part in an unsuccessful advance on Passchendaele and casualties were very heavy. Fred was hit in the army by a bullet.

He was evacuated to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance where he was initially patched up and from there was sent to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen. Fortunately the wound was only slight and after a few days in hospital Fred would spent the next few weeks in convalescent camps. On the 13th December 1917 Fred was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He then spent the next few weeks there and rejoined the 48th Battalion on the 29th December 1917.

From January to March 1918 the 48th Battalion were holding the front line south east of Ypres near Hollebeke.

On the 5th February 1918 Fred was granted two weeks leave to England, returning on the 22nd February 1918.

On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British lines further south. As a result the Australian Divisions were sent south to help stop this German advance. The 48th Battalion were sent to the sector around Albert and Dernancourt. In late March 1918 they came into contact with the Germans. Fred survived the initial encounters safely, but on the 1st April 1918 he fell ill and was sent to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre where he was diagnosed with venereal disease. This kept Fred out of action for the next month, eventually rejoining the 48th Battalion on the 5th May 1918.

The 48th Battalion were then in the sector around Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel. On the 17th June 1918 while the Battalion was at Sailly le Sec, Fred was wounded for the 3rd time in the war. He was near an exploding shell, the shrapnel from which hit him in the neck, shoulder and arm. After having his wounds dressed at the 4th Field Ambulance, he was then sent to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station. His wounds were again treated and Fred was then put on an ambulance train and was taken to Abbeville and admitted to the 2nd Stationary Hospital.

Fred only had a few days in hospital in France as he was then transferred to England. Sadly though his arm would be amputated due to these wounds.

On arrival in England Fred was admitted to the 1st Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge. He was at this hospital from the 28th June 1918 to the 13th September 1918.

Fred was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. Fred's third wound of the war was quite severe and he would now remain in this hospital for the next few months while he waited for a transport ship home.

On the 5th January 1919 Fred boarded the transport hospital ship Kanowna and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 20th February 1919.

Fred was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle on his return home. His wounds meant he stayed in hospital in Fremantle for the next two years. He was eventually discharged from the AIF on the 17th May 1921.

In 1924 Frederick married Muriel Ernestine Garcia and was also employed by the education department. He then went to Ferguson near Dardanup in South West WA where he was a primary school teacher. He then transferred to nearby Dardanup in the 1930's.

Fred was a member of the Returned Maimed and Limbless Men's Association as well as being actively involved in the Dardanup and Bunbury regions.

Sadly Fred died in Perth on the 13th January 1936 in Perth aged 43. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery Plot Anglican OA 0238.