Lance Corporal Frank Henry Ough Dealy, 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion
Australian War MemorialFrank Dealy was born in 1895 in Hong Kong. He was the eldest of three children born to William Kirkman Dealy, the headmaster of Queens College, and his wife Anna Dealy. Frank was sent to England to attend Stonyhurst College with his younger brother, Sydney. After graduating, he and his brother moved to Australia, settling in Adelaide and attained a Bachelor of agricultural science. He had hopes of continuing his education at Cambridge University, when the First World War broke out in 1914.
Frank Dealy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 2 November 1916. He was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements of the 43rd Infantry Battalion and embarked for active service on 16 December that year, sailing from Adelaide on the troopship Berrima.
Private Dealy arrived in England in February 1917. During further training he began to suffer from bronchitis. After several weeks in hospital, he reached the Western Front and joined his unit in the trenches on 1 September 1917. In November, he was promoted to lance corporal, before being sent to a school for non-commissioned officers in December. He and his comrades saw out a cold and uncomfortable winter in the lines. Dealy became ill and was again hospitalised.
By February of 1918, Dealy had largely recovered from his illness, and was granted a short period of leave in England, where he was reunited with his brother Sydney, who was training in Scotland as a member of the Australian Flying Corps. Soon Sydney returned to training, while Frank began making his way back to the front. Within days, Frank was given the news that Sydney had been killed after crashing his Sopwith Camel fighter in the Scottish countryside. He was given leave to attend his brother’s funeral, held in the chapel of their former school.
During this period German forces launched a major offensive along the allies’ front line. Dealy was back with his unit by 12 April, and was immediately drawn into the thick of the fighting. His unit repulsed the enemy’s advance on Villers-Bretonneux later that month, before taking part in Monash’s attack at Hamel in July. With the success of these operations, the German Spring Offensive was defeated, allowing allied forces to start their own attack. This began on 8 August 1918.
By 26 August, the enemy had been forced back several kilometres towards their final lines of defence. Dealy’s unit quickly advanced on enemy lines, consolidating their own position around the village of Suzanne. Dealy and two comrades took refuge in their trench while waiting for their rations. German forces began bombarding their position with high explosive shells that hit their trench, killing all three men instantly. Dealy had been fatally struck in the head, and was buried in a field with his two comrades, not far from where they were killed.
After the war, Dealy’s remains were recovered and moved to Suzanne Military Cemetery, where he lies today beneath his former school’s motto as requested by his parents. His headstone reads in French:
“Quant Je Puis”, meaning “As much as I can”.
Lance Corporal Frank Dealy was 23 years old.
- Australian War Memorial, Roll of Honour https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1726429
