Frank William Dowell

The Drill of the Foot-Hills 1918 Feb-Mar p.10
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Bedfordale, Western Australia
Death	30 May 1916
Place of Death	Cordonnerie, France
Age at Enlistment	29 years, 5 months
Description	5' 6" (1.68m)tall; weight 128 lbs (58.1 kg); fair complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair
Occupation	sleeper hewer
Religion	Congregational
Address	Bedfordale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr James Willcox Dowell
Military Information
Reg Number	3775
Date of Enlistment	2 Aug 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement, posted to B Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	22 Nov 1915 - 14 Dec 1915 Port Suez
Ship Embarked On	RMS Mongolia
Fate	Killed in Action 30 May 1916 at Cordonnerie, France
Monument	Armadale (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Honour Roll
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Frank doesn't appear to have been registered to vote prior to departing for the war.

War Service

Given names are Frank William on the Australian War Memorial and AIF websites. Following initial training at Blackboy Hill camp, Frank was allocated to the 12th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. Following his arrival in Egypt, he joined the 11th Battalion at Habieta on 2 Mar 1916, and was allocated to B Company, before travelling with them on the HMT Corsican to Marseilles from Alexandria 29 Mar to 5 Apr 1916.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission internet site records....

"On 30 May, the Germans staged another raid, this time attacking a salient held by the 11th Battalion AIF at Cordonnerie Farm. British and Australian miners had been tunnelling in this part of the line, and the objective of the German raid was to identify the Commonwealth regiments in the area and destroy mine shafts. At 8.15 in the evening, the Germans unleashed a devastating bombardment of artillery shells and heavy trench mortar bombs. This intense fire continued for over an hour and twenty minutes and completely destroyed the flimsy breastworks behind which the Australian troops were sheltering. Despite the noise and thick clouds of shell smoke, the men of the 11th rallied well and began firing Lewis gun rounds toward the German troops who started advancing across no man’s land just after 9.00 pm. The raiders managed to enter the Australian position and capture a handful of prisoners, but were forced to retreat before they could inflict further damage. The lengthy bombardment that accompanied the raid on 30 May caused over 100 Australian casualties, over 40 of whom were killed. Many of those killed during the raid were buried at Rue Pétillon, which is also the final resting place of over 100 Australian soldiers killed at the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916."

http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/fromelles/visiting-fromelles/the-nursery.php a website hosted by the Australian Department of Veterans Affairs, credits a large German mortar shell for the deaths of Frank and 39 other members of his unit. This is supported by a statement by Lt S.J. Forbes of his company who wrote that

"Frank was one of a number of men lost on the night of the 30th and 31st May 1917 as a result of a German attack on his battalion's trenches after a heavy 95 minute bombardment."

Frank was the first local to lose his life on the Western Front.

Buried in the Military Cemetery, Rue Petillon - Plot 1; Row H; Grave 29. Five km east of Laventie, and 7.5 km southwest of Armentiès. Son of James Wilcox Dowell and Annie Mary Dowell.

Notes

In the Autumn 1986 edition of "The Listening Post", page 25 there is mention of FW Dowell's grave in the Rue Pétillon Military Cemetery, about a half-hour drive from Bethune.