Private Frederick Prothero
Henry MouldsPrivate Prothero initially enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in November 1914 using the names Frederick Albert. Aged 26 at the time, he was unmarried. The service number allocated on his attestation papers was 1609.
He was allocated to the 3rd Reinforcement of the 1st Battalion AIF as a member of the Anzac Police, later to be called the Anzac Provost Corps. The unit embarked for the Middle East on board His Majesty’s Australian Transport A49 Seang Choon in February 1915.
Shortly after arriving at Gallipoli Prothero was wounded in his right hand and although treated and later admitted to a convalescent camp, in June he was invalided back to Australia. His military record, however, shows that now with the service number 1258 he returned to duty on the 14th of September and re-embarked for Gallipoli two weeks later, with the 9th reinforcements of the 1st Battalion. He was again a member of the Anzac Police.
Shortly before the final evacuation from Gallipoli, Prothero was admitted to hospital with illness but later returned to join his unit in France. In late 1916 he was transferred back to the 1st Battalion from the Anzac Provost Corps. Whilst serving in France he was again wounded in action and in August 1917 he was returned to Australia and eventually discharged on medical grounds in October of that year.
For his service he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Source: NAA Item Number 8018919 Prothero, Frederick Albert
