Frederick John Chester

Frederick John Chester

Frederick Chester with wife Mavis Alma.
Wire entanglements near Lormisset Farm part of the Masnieres - Beaurevoir system. Fred Chester was WIA here.
Personal Information
Date of Birth	28 Apr 1896
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	12 May 1968, aged 72
Place of Death	Armadale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	21 years, 6 months
Description	5'11½" (1.82m) tall ; 151 lbs 68.492 kg ; medium complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Swamper
Religion	Methodist
Address	Bush Landing, Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs. Amelia Harmer
Military Information
Reg Number	6563
Date of Enlistment	26 Oct 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	29 Jan 1917 ‒ 27 Mar 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades Fremantle to Devonport
Date of Return	21 Dec 1918 ‒ 27 Jan 1919
Ship Returned On	HMT Mamari Liverpool to Fremantle
Fate	Wounded in Action 3 Oct 1918 Hindenburg Line Returned to Australia
Monument	Jarrahdale Honour Roll ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Soon after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Fred was allocated to the 8th reinforcement draft for the 48th Battalion. Three weeks later he was sent back to a Depot Company, and it was on 4 Jan 1917 that he was allocated to the 19th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion. Basic training completed he boarded HMAT A28 Miltiades for England where he landed in Devonport on 27 Mar 1917. The day after arriving in England Fred was in the Rollestone Hospital. Discharged on 30 Mar 1917 he joined the 7th Training Battalion to prepare for France.

On 31 Jul 1917 he proceeded to Le Havre in France via Southampton. After two weeks in a base depot he joined the 28th Battalion in the field on 15 Aug 1917. At the time, the 28th was in a rear area undergoing training. On 19 Aug 1918 he was awarded 28 days Field Punishment No. 2 for being AWOL for less than a day. Fred was Wounded in Action on 3 Oct 1918 in an attack on the Beaurevoir Line. An abbreviated extract from the unit's War Diary says...

The morning was crisp and fine with a little mist in the valleys. A hot meal was brought forward to the troops by the cooks at 4:00am, and the troops moved to their starting point by 5:00am. The battalion moved forward under an artillery screen at 5 minutes past 6am. Everything went well and according to plan. The advance continued past the Lormisset farm (2 Km west of Beaurevoir) to the road and then the Masnieres - Beaurevoir Line was entered. The advance continued up the trench, capturing prisoners until held up by 3 machine guns. Once these were overcome they managed to capture the entire trench and set up defendable positions. Casualties were 14 KIA and 70 WIA.

Fred's injury was said to be a gun shot wound to his left heel, and could have occurred at any time during the action.

Seen first by the 141st Field Ambulance and passed on to the 50th Casualty Clearing Station on the day he was injured, before being admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital in Rouen the next day 4 Oct 1918. Evacuated to England he entered the Town Hall Hospital in Torquay on 6 Oct 1918. Discharged from Hospital on 9 Nov 1918 he was granted furlough until 25 Nov 1918 when he reported to the No 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny. He boarded HMT Mamari in Liverpool for the journey home to Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on 27 Jan 1919. Fred was discharged by the 5th Military District on 13 Mar 1919.

Post War

In 1920 Fred married Mavis Alma Day. Electoral Roll entries - 1922 - 1943 at Newtown, Jarrahdale, a mill hand; 1949 - 1968 a labourer at Jarrahdale with Mavis. In 1972 Mavis was by herself at 9 Selkirk street, Armadale. Mavis died on 27 Aug 1974 in Armadale.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial