Acton, Frank Robert Hercules
2633 Private Frank Robert Acton - 16th Battalion AIF
Born 30th October 1891 in Adelaide SA to James and Susan Acton. He was one of ten siblings born into the family.
The family came to WA in the early 1900's and set up residence at Chester Street South Fremantle. Frank was working as a labourer and Mill Hand prior to the Great War. In 1914 Frank was living at 42 Orient Street South Fremantle. (later renumbered to 14 Orient)
On the 18th June 1915 Frank enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force at Pinjarra. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 3 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 124lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment, Frank was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained in WA with this group for the next few months.
On the 1st September 1915 Frank and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Anchises. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there just over three weeks later.
Frank was disembarked and sent to the reinforcement camp. On the 18th October 1915 he embarked for Gallipoli to join the 16th Battalion AIF. Frank was taken on strength of "B" Company of the 16th Battalion. He would not have long on Gallipoli as plans were underway to evacuate the battlefield. The 16th battalion reduced it's numbers gradually and Frank was part of the B Company group that evacuated from Gallipoli at 520pm on the 19th December 1915. The Anzac battlefield was fully evacuated in the early hours of the 20th December 1915.
The men of the 16th Battalion gathered together at Mudros and on the 30th December 1915 boarded a troopship which took them back to Egypt.
The 16th Battalion then began to take on numbers to fill their ranks and began training in the Egyptian desert. In late February 1916 the original 16 battalions of the AIF were split in half to provide experienced men for new units. When the 16th battalion split, half went on to form the 48th battalion, but Frank remained with the 16th Battalion.
The 16th Battalion then took on reinforcements to fill the gaps and remained training in Egypt till the end of May 1916. On the 1st June 1916 they boarded a transport ship for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 9th June 1916. After their arrival they were entrained north.
The 16th Battalion had their first experience of the Western Front in the Armentieres sector. They only had a few weeks here and were then transferred to the Somme battlefield.
As part of the 4th Division AIF, they relieved the 2nd Division AIF at Pozieres in early August 1916. They took part in defending the line against a German counter attack not long after they entered the front line and on the 30th August 1916 helped to capture part of the Mouquet Farm defences. Unfortunately due to not being supported on their flanks, the 16th Battalion had to withdraw. During the action Frank was wounded when shrapnel hit him in the back.
After medical treatment he was sent to the French town of Boulogne where he was admitted to the 13th General Hospital. He was only here for a few days and was then shipped to England. On arrival Frank was sent to Ontario Military Hospital at Orpington. His wound was quite severe and Frank was a patient at this hospital till the 3rd November 1916.
He was now well enough to be granted a two week furlough. After his leave period was over Frank reported for duty at No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs. Three days later he was sent to the 4th Training Battalion.
Frank remained in England with the 4th Training Battalion at Codford Camp till the 8th February 1917. He then returned to France and after a few days at the base depot camp at Etaples, he was taken back on strength of the 16th Battalion on the 13th February 1917.
The 16th battalion was then situated on the Somme battlefield, taking part in actions against German positions at Stormy Trench. Frank served with the 16th Battalion for the next seven weeks but on the 30th March 1917 was evacuated ill with a serious case of pneumonia. He was sent to the French town of Rouen where he was admitted to the 9th General Hospital.
Frank had two weeks in hospital here and was then shipped to England. On arrival he was entrained to Birmingham where he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital. Frank remained here till the 4th May 1917 when he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.
Frank spent four days there and was then given a two week furlough. He then marched into No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham. On the 28th June 1917 Frank returned to France.
When he rejoined them the 16th Battalion were in the line at Messines in Belgium and they would be here till August 1917. In September 1917 the 16th Battalion moved to Ypres where they took part in the current offensive taking place there.
The 16th Battalion saw action at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele through September and October 1917. Frank came through this time safely.
In December 1917 the 16th Battalion were moved to Peronne in France for a month but then returned to Belgium in January 1918. The 16th Battalion were then holding the front line in Belgium south east of Ypres near Hollebeke 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.
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 Frank and the 16th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. He came through this action unscathed.
Frank then took part in the successful advance on August 8th 1918 on the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 16th Battalion advanced on the southern side of the Somme River. During the advance they were getting heavy fire from the flank as the northern side of the Somme had not been cleared of the Germans, yet the 16th Battalion managed to take their objectives.
For the next few weeks, the 16th Battalion were constantly on the advance. They fought their last action of the war on the 18th September 1918 at Le Verguier. He again came through unscathed. The 16th battalion were then given a well deserved rest period out of the front line. They were still out of the line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
Frank had been given a two week furlough to England on the 6th November 1918 so was in the UK when the Armistice was announced. He put this time to good use, for on the 13th November 1918 in Surrey England he got married to Amy Victoria Jones.
Frank returned to the 16th Battalion in France on the 27th November 1918. As a result of the Armistice, the Germans soon withdrew behind their own lines and the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of France and Belgium. Frank remained with the 16th Battalion till the 2nd April 1919. He then returned to England.
Frank took his discharge from the AIF in England remained there for a few years after the war, his daughter Daphne was born in May 1920 in Surrey and Doris in 1923.
When he was discharged from the AIF Frank was employed by W Sharp Removals and Warehousing in Barnes in Surrey England.
The family then returned to WA in 1926. Upon their arrival home, they had a short stay with family in Fremantle but then headed south. Frank found employment in the timber industry in Dwellingup. However after a short time was employed by the WA Government Railways.
Sadly his wife Amy had not been well and died on the 19th February 1928. She was buried in Fremantle Cemetery.
Frank spent the next few years between Fremantle and Dwellingup. His Father died in February 1930 at Wooroloo and his mother in died May 1930 in East Fremantle.
In 1938 Frank married again to Lily Ashton in Fremantle and they would take up residence in Hope Street White Gum Valley.
In World War Two, Frank enlisted again, signing up in April 1942. He would serve in the Volunteer Defence Corps and had the service number W84408.
Frank died on the 19th February 1953 in White Gum Valley aged 61. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery