Frederick Robert Weedon

Frederick Robert Weedon

Frederick and Blossom Weedon - Ancestry
Personal Information
Date of Birth	31 Oct 1888
Place of Birth	Walton-on-Thames, England
Death	9 Oct 1976
Place of Death	Hamel, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	28 years, 5 months
Description	5' 6½" (1.69m) tall ; 145 lbs 65.771 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Butcher
Religion	Church of England
Address	Seventh road, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Blossom Georgina Jane Weedon
Military Information
Reg Number	6598
Date of Enlistment	10 Apr 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 21st Reinforcements / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	13 Oct 1916 ‒ 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A39 Port Macquarie
Date of Return	21 Sep 1918 ‒ 11 Dec 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Saxon
Fate	Wounded in Action 2 Oct 1917 Ypres salient Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

As an 18 year old stableman, Fred arrived in Fremantle aboard the 5.857 ton SS Oruba on 9 Feb 1906 after a voyage of 75 days from London. During 1914 Fred married Blossom Georgina Whittaker (1890 - 18 Aug 1972) in Fremantle.

Electoral Roll entries - 1906 a miner at Higginsville (near Coolgardie); 1910 at 382 Egan street, Hannans with Mary Ann (mother?); 1916 Carradine road, Armadale, farmer with Blossom.

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 10 Apr 1916, and on 1 May 1916 was allocated to the 21st reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. During his training, Fred participated in a signals training course from 30 May to 24 Jul 1916. He was listed as sailing with the 21st reinforcements of the 11th Battalion, on the 10th of October 1916

On arrival in England he was first sent to the 8th Training Battalion at Larkhill, but on 17 Dec he joined the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington. Fred entered France from Southampton on 9 Jul 1917, disembarking in Le Havre, and along with 80 other reinforcements joined the 11th Battalion on the 4th Aug 1917 in a rear area, west of Hazebrouck. On 1 Oct 1917 the 11th Battalion relieved the 47th Battalion in reserve at Westhoek Ridge east of Ypres. Although the Unit War Diary records two WIA and three gassed for the 1st, it records nil injuries for the 2nd, so Fred's wounds may have been received overnight 1/2 Oct. He sustained a slight gunshot wound to his right leg and to his jaw. Treated first by the 3rd Field Ambulance, he was admitted to the 20th General Hospital in Camiers north of Étaples on the 4th, and on 8 Oct 1917 he embarked for England on HMHS St Andrew for admission to the Colchester General Military Hospital the next day.

Fred spent less than one day in the Colchester Hospital before being released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Hurdcott, and on 12 Nov 1917 he was transferred to No. 3 Command Depot, also in Hurdcott to build up his strength. While there, in Jan 1918, he contracted scabies and was placed in an isolation hospital, also spending time in Sutton Veny Military Hospital from 1 May 1918 to 1 Jun 1918 with a deflected septum, perhaps resulting from his wounds. On 1 Jun 1918 he entered the Tidworth Military Hospital until 14 Jun 1918 after which he returned to the Command Depot. Given his health issues, he was sent home to Australia early for discharge which took place at the 5th Military District on 31 Mar 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1921 - 1936 at 549 Edmund street, South Fremantle, a storeman; 1949 - 1963 street number was now 109 Edmund street, 1972 by himself. Blossom died 18 Aug 1972 aged 81 at Beaconsfield, and Fred on 9 Oct 1976 at Hamilton Hill. Fred and Blossom had two sons, Robert Levi James (1920 - 1987) and ?

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial