Hopkins, Raymond Frank
3118 Sergeant Raymond Frank Hopkins - 4th Pioneer Battalion AIF
Frank was born on the 11th July 1893 in Wallaroo South Australia to Henry and Elizabeth Hopkins, being one of four siblings born into the family. The family moved to Western Australia in the 1900's and took up residence in Fremantle. Prior to the Great War Frank was living at 22 Hubble Street East Fremantle. (later renumbered to 8 Hubble Street). Frank was working locally as a labourer.
On the 5th July 1915 Frank 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 5 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 148lbs;
Chest Measurement - 35-37 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Frank was assigned to No.15 Depot Training Company. He only had a few days here and was then transferred to the 10th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. Frank would train with this group for the next few months.
On the 13th October 1915 Frank and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in November 1915.
The men would have been expecting to be sent onto Gallipoli, but plans were now underway to evacuate the Dardanelles, so Frank and his group were retained in the reinforcement camp in Egypt.
The 16th Battalion returned to Egypt in January 1916but Frank remained at the reinforcement camp until the end of February 1916. Frank was now assigned to the 48th Battalion AIF. He had two weeks with this unit and was then transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion on the 16th March 1916.
Frank trained with the 4th Pioneer Battalion in Egypt till the end of May 1916 as on the 4th June 1916, they boarded their transport ship in Alexandria and sailed for France. Arriving at Marseilles on the 11th June 1916, Frank and his unit were put onto trains and were sent north to the region of Fleurbaix, south of Armentieres. They stayed here till July 1916, when they were sent south to the Somme.
He was involved in the actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August 1916 where they attempted to keep open the communication trenches amidst the heavy shellfire. Frank survived the Somme battles unscathed and was promoted Lance Corporal in September 1916.
Frank saw out the rest of 1916 with the 4th Pioneer Battalion spending the 1916/17 French Winter in the vicinity of Flers in horrendous muddy conditions which made their tasks or road and trench building a very difficult task.
The 4th Pioneers subsequently saw much work in the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line during February/March 1917 and also during April when the infantry attacked Bullecourt. In May the 4th Division changed sectors and came up to Messines in Belgium. In May 1917 Frank was promoted to Corporal.
The 4th Division took part in the advance at Messines and continued to hold the line. The 4th Pioneer Battalion supported the infantry in this period by road making and improving the trenches and dugouts.
On the 2nd July 1917 Frank fell ill and was sent to the 2nd Australian General hospital at Wimereux. He had several days here but on the 15th July 1917 Frank was shipped to England for further treatment. On arrival Frank was sent to hospital at Clacton-on-Sea. He spent the next seven weeks here. He had now recovered and was given a two week furlough. When's Frank leave period was over he reported back to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.
Frank was there for a few weeks but on the 5th October 1917 was transferred to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. After two more weeks here, Frank was then transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. Frank was now preparing to head back to France, and crossed the channel on the 6th November 1917. He spent the next few weeks at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot and then rejoined the 4th Pioneers on the 26th November 1917.
When he joined them the 4th Australian Division were heading for Peronne in France where they would spent December 1917. In January 1918 the 4th Division then returned to Belgium and were holding the front line south east of Ypres near Hollebeke. Frank was now promoted to Sergeant.
On the 7th February 1918 Frank reported ill and was sent to the 20th General hospital at Camiers where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Frank was a patient here for the next few weeks but on the 4th March 1918 he was shipped to England. On arrival he was admitted to a Military Hospital in Boscombe Hants. He spent a week here and was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.
After being released from hospital he was given a period of furlough after which he was to report into No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott on 1st April 1918. However Frank took a couple of extra days of leave, and only reported for duty on the 3rd April 1918. He was reprimanded by the Camp's Commanding Officer and was fined three days pay.
Frank remained at No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott till the 28th May 1918. It was during this time that Frank was married in England. On the 17th May 1918 Frank tied the knot to Florence Beatrice Andrews in a service at Marylebone Middlesex.
On the 26th June 1918 Frank returned to France and he rejoined his unit on the 3rd July 1918. The 4th Pioneer Battalion were then in the Villers-Bretonneux region near the Somme River. He joined them in time to take part in the Hamel action, when that French village was captured.
On July 4th 1918 the Pioneers were involved in assisting the capture of the village of Hamel and subsequent days were spent in improving the defences of the newly captured area.
On August 8th 1918 the 4th Pioneers supported the infantry in the advance that took place on the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 4th Division was in action through to September 18th 1918 as the advance progressed past Peronne. The 4th Division saw their last action of the war on September 18th 1918 at Le Verguier.
Frank had come through the last few months unscathed. The 4th Division were now sent for a well deserved rest period out of the line. The 4th Division were still out of the line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
When the Germans withdrew to behind their own borders after the Armistice, the Australians were then sent to what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. The Australian units would remain here for the next few months.
On the 10th February 1919 Frank returned to England and was sent to the AIF camp at Weymouth. He would now wait here to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. Frank also had to organise a passage for his wife Florence.
It was not until the 21st June that Frank and Florence were given a berth on the transport ship Kongin Louise. The ship then set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919.
Frank and Florence then set up residence in East Fremantle, initially living at 115 George Street East Fremantle. He was working locally as a labourer.
In 1926 Frank and Florence had moved to 19 Glyde street East Fremantle. (later renumbered to 7 Glyde)
Sadly, Florence Hopkins died in Fremantle in 1927. Frank then moved to 111 Duke Street East Fremantle. (later renumbered to 45 Duke Street).
Frank remarried in 1932 to Jessie Roder Smith; and they would reside at 43 Sewell Street East Fremantle. Frank was now employed as a Diver. He made the newspaper on a few occasions including The Mirror Newspaper on the 17th November 1934 (below) has a photo of Frank when he had been at work on the Shark proof enclosure at Cottesloe.
Frank was often mentioned in the press for his diving work on ships in Fremantle Harbour through the 1930's. Another article in 1937 also mention's Franks work. Daily News 27th September 1937
Frank would live in East Fremantle through to the 1950's. He died on the 7th January 1956 aged 62. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A4 0227.