Frederick Sidney Gladstone

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	London, Middlesex, England
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 2 months
Description	5'5¼" (1.58m); weight 125 lbs (56.7kg); fresh complexion. blue eyes. dark brown hair.
Occupation	dairy hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	Serpentine, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr John Stewart Gladstone
Military Information
Reg Number	4609
Date of Enlistment	8 Nov 1915
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 14th Reinforcement /4th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	12 Feb 1916 - 11 Mar 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Fate	Wounded in Action 19 Oct 1917 Messines area Wounded in Action 30 Mar 1918 Hébuterne Discharged in England
Monument	Serpentine
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal]

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 8 Nov 1915 and was allocated to the 14th Reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion on 16 Dec 1915 and travelled with them to Egypt.

On 2 May 1916 in Egypt, Fred contracted measles and was hospitalised in the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir. On 8 Sep 1916 while he was still with the 4th Training Battalion, Fred was charged with "Gambling at 1430 hours contrary to Standing Orders. He was awarded 72 hours detention and the loss of 3 days pay.

Fred proceeded overseas to France on 22 Sep 1916, and on 4 Oct 1916 he was taken on strength by the 16th Battalion, who at the time were in the front line and were very heavily bombarded by artillery and mortars causing 6 deaths and 8 to be wounded. Appointed Lance Corporal on 16 Jul 1917, and Corporal on 11 Aug 1917.

Wounded a first time on 19 Oct 1917. The battalion's war diary gives no hint as to how or why he received his wound which was a shell wound to left thigh. Records for the day make no mention of casualties, while the entry for the next day records three men being wounded by shell fire. Despite the entries, his personal details record that he was treated by the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance on the 19th, and that he was admitted to the 8th Stationary Hospital in Wimereux the same day, before being evacuated to England on 24 Oct 1917.

In England he was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley on 25 Oct 1917 until 12 Nov 1917. On 4 Dec 1917 he enjoyed furlough until 18 Feb 1917, before reporting to the 2nd Command Depot in Weymouth where he was sent to the 2nd Convalescent Depot until 7 Jan 1918 when he moved to the 4th Command Depot and a fortnight later he returned to France to rejoin his battalion, achieved on 16 Feb 1918 south of Ypres where they were alternating between holding the front line and providing working parties.

On 30 Mar 1918 Fred was wounded in action a second time, this time with a bullet wound to his face and right eye. Treated by the 2/1 WR Field Ambulance the same day, he was transferred to the 24th General Hospital in Étaples on 1 Apr, and then 10 days later to the 6th Convalescent Depot. Soon after he was transferred to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot and was still a patient there on 15 Sep 1918. On 16 Nov 1918 he was sent to the 39th General Hospital in Le Havre for assessment and on 30 Dec 1918 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot in Rouelles as a PT (Physical Training) instructor and made Temporary Sergeant.

In Jan 1919 Fred enjoyed another leave break in England and with the closure of the Convalescent Depot in Rouslles he reverted to Corporal on 16 Jun 1919 and again sent on leave from 2 Jul 1919 to 2 Sep 1919 to learn how timber joinery was being used in the manufacture of aircraft, before being discharged in London at his own request on 28 Nov 1919 to take up a job with Wenhope Manufacturing Co, owned by his father.