Local Heroes WW1

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Last Updated: Saturday, 23 August 2014 17:06

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(Pte) Frederick William Gage

Frederick William Gage 27th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements of  Rosewater had just turned 17 when he enlisted on 1 March 1915. He mis-stated his age at 19 years 2 months. One would have to say that his appearance in his photograph is more consistent with his real age rather than his stated age. He cites 9 months service in the Senior Cadets prior to enlistment.

His older brother John Richard Samuel Gage possessed of equally youthful looks, had enlisted the previous month. Their physical resemblance is unmistakeable - both look more like 14 year olds than their actual ages which in Fred's case was still below official enlistment age.

Fred was assigned to the 2nd Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion. His brother John was also enlisted into the 27th Battalion.

His occupation is stated as "Blacksmith", although given his youth his vocation could just as easily have been 'borrowed' from his father. With those minor 'impediments' aside, he was soon in camp at Mitcham on Adelaide's southern fringe. Fred was allocated to the Second Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion and embarked for Egypt on the 24th of June 1915 on the HMAT Kanowna. He joined 'E' Company of the Battalion. His older brother John had left with the main body of the 27th Battalion as part of C Company one month earlier. They would have caught up with one another ion Egypt.

The 27th Battalion was part of the Second Division which formed in Egypt and was destined to reinforce the ANZAC Division which had been ashore since 25th April. The 27th landed at ANZAC on and around the 15th September 1915. Like many at that time of the campaign he succumbed to illness and was evacuated sick 12 December 1915, just prior to the main evacuation to Alexandria. He re-joined the battalion in Egypt and embarked for France and the Western Front.

After a short time in the Armientieres sector, the Second Division had moved to the Somme in June 1916. The 27th Battalion was committed to a major attack at Pozieres at the Windmill on the 4th August 1916. Fred was Wounded in Action with a severe gunshot wound to his right leg in this attack. Evacuated through the medical evacuation chain to Chatham Hospital in the UK, he did not re-join the Battalion until April 1917 but was hospitalised almost immediately with an unspecified ailment..

Second Division then moved into its position for the Third Ypres campaign from late July 1917. Fred was Wounded in Action for the second time on 20 September 1917 at the Battle of Menin Road. Evacuated once again to the UK he re-joined the Battalion in December 1917 following Passchendaele.

He is recorded as having been AWL on Christmas and Boxing Day 1917 for which he was awarded 4 days stoppage of pay. In March he transferred to the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion. He served out he remainder of the war with the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion and served through the German March Offensive and the "Last Hundred Days" campaign later that year.

After War's end he would have been a high priority for repatriation to Australia, having been a 'Gallipoli man' but it is clear from his records that he had discovered a romantic interest. Frederick William Gage married Florence Kate Bird on 30th July 1919 in Loughton-Bletchley Buckinghamshire in England. They relocated to Australia on the SS Port Napier in December 1919.

In 1967, Florence claimed Fred's Gallipoli Medallion, by which time he had passed away. She was at that time resident at 40 Reid Avenue Tranmere South, a suburb of Adelaide.

Steve Larkins May 2013 http://warmemorial.erato.vm.e2.com.au/