Dawson, Francis Augustine

3310 Private Francis Augustine Dawson - 51st Battalion AIF

Francis Augustine Dawson was born in Geraldton WA on the 18th May 1894 to William and Ellen Dawson. He was one of eleven siblings born into the family.

He was initially educated in Geraldton before the family moved to Perth. He subsequently served in the 86A Cadets and the 86th Infantry of the Citizens Military Forces.

Prior to the Great War Francis was living at Canning road East Fremantle.

On the 24th July 1915 Francis successfully 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 6 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 153lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-37 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown.

After his successful enlistment Frank was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.20 Training Depot. He spent a few weeks here being taken through the basics of infantry training. On the 27th September 1915 he was then transferred to the 11th Reinforcements to the 11th battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few weeks.

On the 2nd November 1915 Percy and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where he boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there at the end of the month.

Frank and his group would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli to join the 11th Battalion, but with plans now underway to evacuate that battlefield, the reinforcements such as Frank were retained in Egypt. Frank remained in the reinforcement camp till the end of February 1916. He was then sent to join the newly created 51st Battalion.

Frank trained with this group in Egypt for the next few months. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion embarked for France, reaching Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.

The men were then entrained north for the Armentieres sector. They would spend a few weeks in this sector having their first experience of the Western Front and they did sustain significant casualties from German shellfire.

In mid July 1916 they then moved to the Somme battlefield and took up positions near Pozieres. In mid August 1916 the 51st battalion took part in their first action of the war when they attacked German lines near Mouquet Farm. The attack did not succeed but Frank came through unscathed. 

A fortnight later the 51st Battalion took par in another assault on Mouquet Farm. Despite capturing the position, German reinforcements soon came through the open flanks and surrounded the remaining men of the unit. The Germans recaptured the position with many 51st Battalion men being killed, wounded or captured.

Frank was wounded in the buttocks by a German bullet and after treatment at the Field Ambulance, was sent to the 13th General Hospital at Boulogne. He had a week here and was then shipped to England. Frank was then admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington London.

The wound was serious as Frank remained in hospital here till the 3rd January 1917. He was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. On the 8th January he was released and granted a two week furlough.

After his leave period was over Frank reported into No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham. He remained here for the next four months as he regained his full fitness. On the 10th June 1917 Frank returned to France  and was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot. He rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 2nd July 1917.

The 51st Battalion were then situated on the Messines battlefield in Belgium. They would be here till August 1917 when they were transferred to the Ypres sector.

On September 26th 1917 the 51st Battalion were in action around Mouquet Farm, and saw further action around Zonnebeke and Passchendaele in October and November 1917.

It appears that on 12th October 1917 Frank was blown up by a shell, and though not wounded by the shrapnel was suffering from severe shell shock. He was initially sent to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance and was then sent to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital.

On the 7th November 1917 Frank was transferred to the 2nd Canadian General Hospital at Etaples and after four days were transferred to the 3rd General Hospital at Le Treport.

Frank would remain here for the next few months and on the 7th February 1918 he was transferred to England. On arrival he was sent to the 4th London General Hospital at Denmark Hill. This specialised in shell shock cases as a neurological section had been established there.

On the 6th March 1918 Frank was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. He remained there for three weeks and was then given a two week furlough from the 28th March to 11th April 1918. It was while he was on leave that Frank got married.

On the 6th April 1918 he married Marjorie Agnes Gunn at St Joseph's Church Wealdstone London.

When he returned from leave on the 11th April, Frank was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.

On the 17th June 1918 Frank boarded the transport ship Matatua for the journey home to Australia. He arrived back in Fremantle on the 8th August 1918.

Frank was discharged from the AIF as medically unfit on the 22nd October 1918.

Frank and Marjorie would go on to have four children, with Norman born 1919, Ronald in 1921, Margaret in 1922 and Peter in 1925.

From 1919 they lived at Onslow road in West Subiaco but in 1922 moved to Collie where he worked a few years as a miner.

By 1925 the family were living at Victoria Park and Frank was now working as a carpenter. They remained here till the mid 1930's when the family moved to Kalgoorlie.

Frank went on to serve in World War Two. Enlisting on the 17th April 1942 he was assigned the service number W72467. Frank served with the 8th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps from 1942 to 1944 mainly in the Goldfields region.

Through the remainder of the 1940's and into the 1950's Frank remained in the Goldfields and by 1958 was in Leonora working as a prospector.

In 1963 he moved back to Perth, residing at South Perth.

Francis Dawson died on the 3rd September 1979 aged 85. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Lawn 6 0441.