Donaldson, Frederick
10853 Gunner Frederick Stephen Donaldson - 13th Field Artillery Brigade
Frederick Stephen Donaldson was born in Fremantle WA circa 1898 to Frederick and Elizabeth Thompson. He was one of seven siblings born into the family. Fred initially grew up and was educated in Fremantle but then the family moved to Perth, residing at 156 Lake Street. Fred also saw service with the 88A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.
On the 22nd September 1915 Frederick enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be physically fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/2 inches;
Weight - 108lbs;
Chest Measurement - 31-33 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Black.
After his successful enlistment Fred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was initially sent to No.30 Training Depot where he was taken through the basics of infantry service. On the 22nd October 1915 he was then transferred to the Field Artillery Reinforcements. As the field artillery training camp was at Maribyrnong in Victoria, Fred was transferred east to Melbourne to continue his training.
Fred was soon attached to the Reinforcement to the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade.
On the 5th January 1916 Fred embarked from Port Melbourne with his reinforcement group aboard the transport ship HMAT Afric. They set sail for Egypt, arriving there in February 1916.
On the 10th February 1916 Fred was attached to the 1st Australian Division Ammunition Column. He served with this group for over a month and on the 22nd March 1916 was transferred to the 58th Battery of the 15th Field Artillery Brigade.
He trained with this group in Egypt for the next few months. On the 17th June 1916 Fred and his group embarked from Alexandria Egypt and proceeded to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 23rd June 1916. The men were then disembarked and were entrained north for the Armentieres sector.
Fred and his group would soon be in action supporting the 5th Division infantry in their assault at Fromelles on the 19th July 1916. Sadly the attack failed despite the bravery of the soldiers.
The 5th Division artillery remained in Armentieres till September 1916. On the 5th August 1916 Fred had been evacuate ill with a septic throat and spent a few weeks at the 5th Division rest station.
On the 24th August 1916 Fred returned to his unit, fit again for service.
In October 1916 the 5th Division moved to the Somme battlefield and were situated near Delville Wood and Flers. They would remain in this sector till February 1917.
On the 30th December 1916 a German shell exploded near Fred and though not hit by the shrapnel, he suffered a concussion and was evacuated with shell shock. Fortunately he recovered quickly and Fred rejoined his unit on the 16th January 1917. However the 15th Field Artillery Brigade ceased to exist and then Fred was transferred to the 51st Battery of the 13th Field Artillery Brigade.
The 13th Field Artillery Brigade were now serving near Bapaume on the Hindenburg Line front. On the 20th April 1917 Fred was granted a fortnight's leave to England, rejoining his unit on the 6th May 1917. At this time the 13th FAB were covering the Bullecourt action with their supporting artillery fire. They were here through May 1917 and were then transferred for duty to Belgium.
From July to November 1917 Fred's unit were sent to Belgium where they provided fire support during the Third Battle of Ypres. They were supporting both British and Australian infantry during this period.
On the 4th November 1917 a gas shell exploded near Fred's artillery battery and though not wounded by the shrapnel, he was overcome with gas poisoning. He was transferred to the 1st Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. He was here for ten days receiving treatment and was then transferred to England.
On the 16th November 1917 Fred was sent to Norfolk War Hospital. He remained here for two months, being release on the 15th January 1918. He was then given a two week leave period and then reported into No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny on the 29th January 1918.
On the 12th February 1918 Fred was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. He spent a week here and was then transferred to the Artillery Training Camp at Heytesbury. He spent a few more weeks here and then on the 7th March 1918 was returned to France.
Fred rejoined the 13th Field Artillery Brigade in Belgium on the 15th March 1918. Not long after he rejoined them, the Germans launched their large Spring Offensive which broke through the British line in France. The Australians were then sent south to the Somme sector to help stop this advance.
The 13th Field Artillery Brigade were sent to the sector around the Somme and Villers-Bretonneux. On the 27th May 1918 Fred and his artillery battery were subjected to German counter battery fire and many of these shells were filled with mustard gas. According to their unit war diary, this bombardment lasted for around an hour. Fred was exposed to the mustard gas and was then sent to the 14th Field Ambulance. After initial treatment here, Fred was transferred to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen. He remained here under treatment for four days and was then transferred to England.
On the 9th June 1918 Fred was admitted to the 15th Canadian General Hospital at Taplow. On the 17th June 1918 he was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He only spent a few days here and was then transferred to No.3 Command Depot Camp. Fred remained here till 26th August 1918 when he was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.
On the 4th October 1918 Fred was sent back to France and rejoined the 13th Field Artillery Brigade on the 11th October 1918. When he joined them, they were supporting American and British infantry in their operations against the Germans. Fred's unit was providing fire support till the 24th October 1918.
They were then relieved from the line and sent for a well deserved rest period. They were still on the rest period when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
When the Germans withdrew to behind their own borders, the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. Fred remained with the 13th FAB until the 1st April 1919. He then returned to England and was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would remain here while waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 1st June 1919 Fred boarded the transport ship HMAT Somali and set sail for home, arriving at Fremantle on the 8th July 1919. After being disembarked Fred was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital for a medical examination. He was found to have defective vision in his right eye and was then discharged from the AIF on the 14th November 1919.
Fred then returned home to Perth but soon moved to NSW where he was soon working as a nurse and attendant in Goulburn.
He married Margaret E Hogan in 1929 in Goulburn and continued living here through the 1930's
On the 29th January 1941 Fred lowered his age and enlisted again for service with the Australian Army in World War Two. He was assigned the service number NX72031. After training at Tamworth Fred was assigned to the 10th General Hospital In August 1941 Fred and his unit arrived in Singapore.
In December 1941 Fred was temporarily detached for duty with the 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station but then returned to the 10th General Hospital. Unfortunately for Fred, the Japanese had rapidly advanced and had captured Malaya by January 1942 and then captured Singapore a few weeks later in February 1942.
Fred was taken Prisoner of War but fortunately survived the next few years under the harsh Japanese captivity. He was repatriated home after the war in 1945.
He then returned to nursing in Goulburn.
On the 26th November 1963 Fred was awarded the Imperial Service medal for his work in NSW Public Health as a Charge Nurse. The Imperial Service Medal was instituted in 1902 to recognize distinguished public service at junior levels of the British civil services and the civil services of Commonwealth countries.
Fred died on the 3rd May 1971 and was buried at Kenmore Roman Catholic Cemetery Goulburn.