Dean, Frederick James
44 Private Frederick James Dean MM - 16th Battalion
Frederick James Dean was born in Crawley Sussex England in 1887 to Edward and Rosina Dean.
He was educated in Sussex and after leaving school he took up an electrician apprenticeship. The apprenticeship was of four years duration and took place at Shaw and Sons in Crawley Sussex.
He came to Western Australia in the 1900's and took up working as an electrician but prior to the Great War he was working as a yardman in North Fremantle.
On the 21st March 1916 Frederick enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording Fred's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 130lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Tanned;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment Fred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to the Cycling Corps Reinforcements. He was sent to NSW and formed part of the 3rd Australian Division Cyclists Battalion. This unit embarked from Sydney on the 18th May 1916 aboard the transport ship Demosthenes. The ship then took them to England, arriving there in July 1916.
Fred trained with the 3rd Division Cyclists for several weeks on the Salisbury Plains but on the 7th September 1916 was reassigned to now be joining the 16th Battalion. He went into the 4th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp for the next few weeks.
Fred left England on the 22nd September 1916 and on arriving in France was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot Camp at Etaples. Fred was finally taken on strength of the 16th Battalion on the 17th October 1916. The 16th Battalion were in Belgium but were soon to return to the Somme battlefield where they would remain from November 1916 to February 1917. In February 1917 the 16th Battalion took part in the actions around Stormy Trench
In March 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive positions at the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British units followed up this withdrawal closely and several sharp actions were fought around the outpost villages. The 16th Battalion would soon be brought into action at Bullecourt.
The 16th Battalion, as part of the 4th Brigade were tasked with breaking the line at Bullecourt and capturing the German positions. This assault finally went ahead on April 11th 1917 with the assistance of tanks though with no artillery support. On the 4th Brigade front, the 16th & 13th Battalion broke through the thick barbed wire and despite the heavy German fire managed to capture sections of the trenches. However due to their flanks being unsupported and the lack of supporting fire along with running out of ammunition, the survivors had a choice to remain and become prisoners of war or to make a dash back for their own lines.
The 16th Battalion had very heavy casualties with only a handful of men making back to their own lines. Fred was one of the fortunate few of the 16th Battalion to survive this action unscathed. However two days later he was evacuated ill with a septic foot.
Treatment at the field ambulance did not improve his foot and so Fred was sent to Hospital at Rouen. On the 2nd May 1917 Fred was then transferred to England where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. On the 23rd May 1917 Fred was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harfield.
Fred spent a few days there and was then given a two week furlough. When this was over he reported to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs. On the 28th June he was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.
Fred had a few weeks in this camp and then returned to France on the 23rd June 1917. He had a few weeks at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot but was then sent to the 16th battalion, joining them on the 9th August 1917. The 16th battalion were then situated on the Messines battlefield.
Fred had a few weeks with the 16th battalion here but then the 4th Australian Division was moved to the Ypres front to take part in the offensive taking place there. On the 26th September 1917 the 16th Battalion were situated at Polygon Wood when Fred was wounded. He had been hit by shrapnel in the buttocks, arm and back.
Fred was sent to the 10th General Hospital at Rouen and was a patient there till the 9th October 1917. He was then transferred to England and was admitted to Bath War Hospital. He was a patient at Bath until the 5th November 1917 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
Fred only spent four days here and was then given a two week furlough. On the 23rd November 1917 he reported into No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. He spent four days there and was then transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.
On the 19th December 1917 Fred returned to France and was sent to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre. He then rejoined the 16th battalion on the 23rd December 1917. The 16th battalion were in the Peronne sector of France but in January 1918 they moved back to Belgium and were holding front line positions south east of Ypres near Hollebeke. They were here till March 1918.
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent towards the Somme to help stop this German advance.
The 16th Battalion, as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, moved to Hebuterne where they joined New Zealand and British units in stopping the German advance in this sector. They also started putting the Germans on the back foot by conducting raids on their positions.
Fred was decorated with the Military Medal for his bravery while they were at Hebuterne. The official recommendation reads;
This man is brought to notice for conspicuous gallantry and initiative shown by him during an attack made by us at Hebuterne on 1st April 1918. During the construction of a bombing block in the Sunken Road near the Cemetery, the fire from a machine gun from a distance of about one hundred yards was causing casualties, and rendering the construction of the block almost impossible. Accompanied by No.7085 Private A.D.Watson, and on his own initiative, he worked his way across No Mans Land, attacked the gun crew, killed two Germans and returned with three prisoners and the machine gun. For this very fine performance he is very strongly recommended for distinction.
In April 1918 the 16th Battalion moved to the Somme River and Villers-Bretonneux sector. They were in this area till July 1918. On the 4th July 1918 Fred and the 16th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. He came through this action unscathed.
Fred was wounded on the 6th August 1918, two days before the successful advance of August 8th 1918 on the Villers-Bretonneux front. He had been hit by shrapnel in the arm and was evacuated to Rouen where he was admitted to No.12 General Hospital. He only had few days here but on the 10th August 1918 was sent to England where he was admitted to No.3 London Hospital.
He was there for two weeks and on the 27th August 1918 was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. On the 2nd September 1918 he was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He was here till the 17th September 1918 when he was sent to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. Fred was still here when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
Due to his wound, Fred had been marked down as returning to Australia and on the 8th January 1919 boarded the troopship Orsova which took him back home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 12th February 1919.
Fred was discharged from the AIF on the 29th March 1919.
In 1923 Fred married Emily Kate Todman at Northam and sadly they lost a child soon after birth in 1924.
They continued to reside in Northam through the 1920's where Fred was a boarding house keeper. In the 1930's Fred became a wood merchant.
In the mid 1930's they returned to the North Fremantle and Cottesloe region. They then moved to Beaufort Street North Perth in the 1940's and Fred was now working as a yardman
Frederick James Dean died on the 1965 in South Perth aged 77. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.