Frank Thomas Firns

Frank Thomas Firns

Personal Information
Date of Birth	11 Dec 1898
Place of Birth	Serpentine, Western Australia
Death	18 Jan 1953, aged 54
Place of Death	Serpentine, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	19 years 4 months
Description	5' 10" tall ; 178lbs 80.739 kg ; fair complexion ; grey eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Timber worker
Religion	Church of England
Address	PO Serpentine, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Charles Firns
Military Information
Reg Number	56319
Date of Enlistment	22 Apr 1918
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	Western Australian reinforcement 2
Date of Embarkation	29 Jul 1918 ‒ 27 Sep 1918
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A74 Marathon Albany to London
Date of Embarkation	22 Dec 1918
Date of Return	22 Dec 1918 ‒ 5 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A41 Bakara England to Fremantle
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Mundijong School Roll of Honour Mundijong Honour Roll Serpentine Roll of Honour ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Medals	British War Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

WW1 Service

Entered blackboy Hill camp on 22 Apr 1918 and he was allocated to the W2 Reinforcements, who following basic training in Australia, sailed from Albany aboard HMAT A74 Marathon on 29 Jul 1918. On arrival in England he was posted to the 1st Training Battalion as a reinforcement for the 11th Battalion. However, on 5 Oct 1918 he was transferred to the Artillery reinforcements at Heytesbury.

On 7 Nov 1918 Frank was admitted to hospital in Heytesbury, transferring the next day to the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny. On 14 Nov 1918 he was discharged to the Training Depot, but on 23 Nov 1918 he was again in need of hospital attention until 8 Dec 1918. Frank's records show him as being embarked for Australia, suffering with Influenza, on HMAT A41 Bakara

Post War

In 1924 Frank married Lilian Emma Tonkin in Serpentine. Lilian died 9 May 1987, aged 87 in Melville. Children Phyllis Emma b. 1925 d. 1999.

Electoral Roll entries - 1922 - 1925 Serpentine a farmer; 1931 Koorda, farmer; 1936 - carpenter in Paddington (WA); 1937 Woolabar Dam, prospector; 1943 - 1949 at 35 Boundary street, Hannans, prospector; 1953 or earlier Serpentine.

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  WW2 photo with wife Lilian

WW2 Service

During WW2 served as a Lance Corporal with the 5th Australian Garrison Battalion, on Rottnest during WW2 with Regimental No. W26806 from 3 Mar 1942 until 3 Nov 1944 when he was transferred to the 10th Garrison Battalion at Swanbourne. On 8 Jan 1945 he was detached to the Karrakatta POW unit before being detached to the 18th Maintenance Section RAE on 22 Feb 1945, remaining with that unit until he began the process of being discharged on 29 Nov 1945.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial