Hardouin, Francis Hubert Maurice
6771 Private Francis Hubert Maurice Hardouin - 11th Battalion AIF
Francis Hubert Maurice Hardouin was born in Hull England to Francis and Jemmima? Hardouin on the 23rd February 1889. He was one of six siblings born into the family.
Francis was educated in Hull and after leaving school took up employment as a clerk. During his time in England Francis had also served for five years in the Territorial Army.
He married Lucy Alice Healy in April 1913 in Sculcoates Yorkshire England.
Francis worked as a clerk in a Shipping Office in Hull before coming to Australia in May 1913. On arrival in Fremantle he took up a position as Secretary to the Australasian Steamship Owners federation (WA Branch). On arrival Frank took up residence in Kingston Cottage South Street Chester Park Beaconsfield.
Frank and Lucy welcomed a son, called Francis William Hubert, in June 1915.
On the 14th June 1916 Francis enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 127lbs;
Chest Measurement - 30-3 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Dark Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment Francis was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. On arrival he was sent to the training depot where he was taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 9th August 1916 Francis was transferred to the 23rd reinforcements to the 11th battalion AIF. He trained with this group till the 4th September 1916 when he was transferred to the 22nd Reinforcements to the 11th battalion AIF.
Francis had another two months of training in WA with this group and on the 9th November 1916 they entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they embarked on the transport ship HMAT Argyllshire. The ship then set sail for England, arriving at Devonport on the 10th January 1917.
After being disembarked Francis and his group were sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp. He would be training here for the next few months. On the 13th March 1917 he was sent to Fargo Military Hospital. He spent a few weeks in hospital then returned to the training unit on the 3rd April 1917.
On the 3rd May 1917 Francis departed for France and after a few days at the 1st Division Base Depot at Etaples he was taken on strength of the 11th Battalion on the 10th May 1917.
The 11th battalion had just come out of the front line from their time at Bullecourt and were about to embark on a three month rest period out of the line.
From June to August 1917 much of the 11th Battalion's time was taken up with training and sporting activities. Francis would have had a lot of time to get to know his Battalion mates during this three month rest period.
In September 1917 the 11th battalion moved into Belgium where they would take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 20th September 1917 Francis took part in his first action at the Battle of Menin Road. The 11th Battalion successfully took their objectives and Frank came through safely. Through the next two months the 11th battalion saw further action at Polygon Wood, Celtic Wood, Broodseinde Ridge, Zonnebeke and Passchendaele. Frank came through this time unscathed.
From November 1917 to March 1918, the 11th Battalion held the front line in the sector between Messines and Ypres Belgium. On the 22nd January 1918 Frank was given a two week furlough to England, returning to France on the 6th February 1918.
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 when they broke through the British front in the southern sector, the five Australian divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this advance. The 11th Battalion, as part of the 1st Australian Division was the last of the divisions to leave Belgium and had just arrived near Amiens when the Germans broke through the line in Belgium and made a speedy advance into northern France. The 1st Australian Division was then returned north and met the Germans around Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here. The 11th battalion saw much action around this sector and on the 3rd June 1918 was appointed to Lance Corporal.
On the 20th June 1918 Frank was evacuated suffering from influenza. He was sent to the 4th Stationary Hospital but only spent nine days away from his unit, returning to the 11th Battalion on the 29th June 1918. Frank and the 11th Battalion remained near Merris through to the end of July 1918.
Shortly after this the 11th Battalion was moved south to Villers-Bretonneux where they would take part in the large advance that was due to take place on August 8th 1918.
The 11th Battalion didn't take part in the first day of the advance but went into the line on the 9th August 1918 and on the following day attacked the German positions at Lihons. The Germans had well entrenched positions and unleashed a heavy machine gun fire on the advancing men of the 11th Battalion. Many of the 11th Battalion were killed and wounded by this fire. During the advance Frank was struck by a bullet to the chest and was taken by stretcher bearers to the nearest Field Ambulance Station. He was patched up and then sent to the Casualty Clearing Station where further treatment was given.
Frank was then put on an Ambulance Train which took him to the French coastal town of Le Treport and was admitted to the 16th General Hospital. Frank remained a patient here till the 29th August 1918. He was then shipped to England where he was admitted to the 4th London General Hospital at Denmark Hill.
Frank was a patient at Denmark Hill for the next few weeks, undergoing further treatment. On the 18th September 1918 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He spent a month here and then on the 22nd October 1918 was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.
Frank was being sent back to Australia and on the 8th November 1918 was put aboard a hospital ship Gaika which then set sail, reaching Melbourne on the 12th December 1918. Frank then had to wait a few weeks before returning to WA, boarding the transport ship Dimboola in Melbourne on the 29th December 1918. After a few days journey he reached Fremantle on the 1st January 1919.
After being disembarked Frank was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace for a medical checkup. He then returned home to Chester Park but sadly did not have much time left with Lucy as she died in Fremantle on the 3rd February 1919. She was buried in Fremantle Cemetery Plot Anglican MON AA 0899.
Frank was discharged from the AIF on the 26th April 1919.
Upon his discharge from the AIF and after the death of his wife, Frank took up residence at a boarding house at 277 High Street Fremantle. He then returned to South Street as his parents were now living there.
He also resumed his employment as secretary to the Steamship Owners Federation as well as, over the next twenty years, taking up work for the Commonwealth Steamship Owners Association; Association of Employers of Waterside Labour and the Traffic Committee of the Australian Shipping Board (WA Branch). Frank would also become a member of the Port Committee of the Stevedoring Commission and the Waterside Board of Reference.
Franks also became heavily involved in the Fremantle Rotary Club and Fremantle Legacy Club, having been President of both Fremantle branches. He was also heavily involved in the Fremantle St John's Ambulance.
In 1926 Frank remarried to Elsie Furncaux Patrick.
In the 1930's the Hardouin's were living in Swanbourne.
During World War Two Frank again offered his services, and was accepted for service with the Australian Army within Australia. He was given the regimental number W66637. He would serve with the Perth Battalion of the Volunteer Defence Corps from 1942 to 1945.
Frank Hardouin died on the 13th February 1962 aged 72. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON AA 1565