Private Frederick William Abbott, 41st Battalion, AIF

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Australian War Memorial

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Frederick Abbott, known to his family as “Sonny”, was born on 6 July 1893, the son of William and Louisa Abbott. The eldest son of 11 children, he grew up in his mother’s home town of Alstonville in northern New South Wales. His grandparents had been early settlers there and Louisa Abbott was reportedly the first white child born in the district. Fred was educated at the local public school, and went on to work as a motor driver. He was described as “a young man of exemplary character and popular with all.”

Fred Abbott enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in December 1915. He underwent a period of training in Australia before leaving for active service overseas with reinforcements to the 15th Battalion in March 1916.

Private Abbott was first sent to Egypt, where he began training with a cyclists’ battalion. In June he was sent to England. After nearly five months’ training with the cyclists, he transferred to the 9th Infantry Battalion, and later the 41st Infantry Battalion. After having spent almost all of 1916 in training camps of one sort or another, Private Abbott was sent to join the 41st Battalion on the battlefields of the Western Front in late November.

Abbott arrived in France during the bitterly cold winter of 1916 to 1917. He remained with his battalion, rotating in and out of the front line for several months. In June 1917 the 41st Battalion played a supporting role during the capture of the Messines Ridge.

Towards the end of that month, the 41st Battalion was called on to construct a new front line to the west of Warneton, just beyond Messines Ridge. In full view of the German defenders, the men of the 41st Battalion worked day and night to construct new defences.

During this time, Fred Abbott was serving as batman to his company commander, Captain McIlroy, as well as performing his duties as a private soldier. On 24 June 1917, Abbott was struck by German machine-gun fire, and was taken to a nearby dressing station, having taken a bullet through his chest. McIlroy described what happened:

“He was shot a few yards from where I was standing. I heard him cry out immediately he was hit. He was quite conscious throughout the rendering of first aid in the field. I saw that he was badly hit, so hurried him off on a stretcher to the aid post. He passed a restless time on the way to the dressing station.”

The chaplain at the dressing station, Alf Mills, later wrote, “death followed almost at once, but I am able to say with not much pain. We laid the body to rest in a burial plot and conducted the Christian burial service.”

Captain McIlroy wrote to Abbott’s parents to say their son’s “death cast a gloom over the whole company, even though we daily lose men … In every respect he was a good soldier. Clean in person and thoroughly reliable … I cannot too highly praise his good qualities.”

Today Private Frederick Abbott is buried in the Messines Ridge British Cemetery, where he lies under the words “deeply mourned by his friends and comrades.” He was 23 years old.

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