Fairbank, Alfred Edmund, 2710

Service No:	2710
Occupation:	Brick- maker
Address:	Montrose
Date of Enlistment:	July 10, 1915
Age at Enlistment:	27 years 3 months
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5ft 7½ in, 10 stn, blue eyes ,brown hair, pale complexion
Next of Kin:	Mother Elizabeth Fairbank
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	7th Btn and 59th Btn
Embarkation Details:	August 26, 1915 Melbourne on HMAT Anchises A68

Places and dates of service:

1915 November: to Alexandria, Egypt (mumps)
1916 March 18: to France – 59Btn
1916 July 21: wounded in action in the field in France, gunshot wound to thigh.
1917 July 13: in the field, France
1919 January 31: sick- RTA to England

 

Returned to Australia:	1919 May 3: Melbourne on the HT Trasos Montes
Discharge Date:
Rank at Discharge:	Private
Honours/Medals:	1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Memorials:	Montrose War Memorial, Montrose State School Honour Board, Shire of Lillydale Honour Board.

Family Story:

Alfred was born 1888 in Collingwood to parents Henry John Fairbank and Elizabeth Bradshaw. It is not known if he married and had family.
He was an inaugural member of the Montrose Tennis Club (1907) and also played football.
In 1910 he was the Manager of the Montrose Fire brick Company. He had two brothers – William Edward Fairbank 1884-1945, Robert Henry Fairbank 1887-1947.

Alfred died at Heidelberg May 30, 1949 and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery in plot M-021-0043.

 

Fairnie, Robert Ernest, 10806

 

Service No:	10806
Occupation:	Mechanic
Address:	“Linlithgow” Prince’s Hill North Carlton
Date of Enlistment:	May 1, 1916
Age at Enlistment:	23 years 10 Months
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5ft 5in tall, 126lbs, blue eyes, black hair, fresh
Next of Kin:	Robert Hugh Fairnie
Rank on Enlistment:	Sapper
Unit Name:	Aust. Army Pay Corp.
Embarkation Details:	May 25, 1916 at Melbourne on HMAT Ascanius A11

Places and dates of service:

1916 September 30: to England (sick-scarlet fever) Brimstone Bottom Hospital.
1917 November 21: to France.
1917 December 31: Promoted to E.R Sergeant in France.
1918 February 16: Leave in U.K.
1918 May 6: France.
1918 November 26: to London England.
1918 December 27: sick (scarlet fever)

Service injuries: Nil.

Returned to Australia:	February 4, 1919: Melbourne on HT Mamari
Discharge Date:	March 14, 1919
Rank at Discharge:	E.R Sergeant
Honours/Medals:	British War Medal, Victory Medal
Memorials:	Shire of Lillydale Honour Board

Family Story:

Robert was born 1893 in Prince’s Hill Melbourne to parents Robert Hugh Fairnie, mother unknown. It is not known if Robert married or had children or where he died, but he was cremated February 2, 1964 at Springvale Cemetery.

 

Ferguson, Henry, 4783

Service No:	4783
Occupation:	Farmer
Address:	Woori Yallock
Date of Enlistment:	October 9th 1915
Age at Enlistment:	25 years and 4 months
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5 ft 6 inches weighing 11st 12 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair
Next of Kin:	Mrs Mary Ellen Ferguson, mother, Woori Yallock
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	59th Battalion
Embarkation Details:	March 7th 1916

Places and dates of service:

1915 November 1: – 1915 December 3: Broadmeadows & Geelong
1916 April 20 – 1916 June 18: 59th Battalion, Egypt
1916 July 19: Fleurbaix France, shot in right eye
1917 October 18: Eye replaced with glass eye.
1917 October 23: Admin. ADH Tidworth School of Musketry

 

Returned to Australia:	January 30, 1919 on the Saxon
Discharge Date:	March 23, 1919
Rank at Discharge:	Private
Honours/Medals:	1914-15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal
Memorials:	Coldstream & Yering War memorial

Family Story:

Henry was born in Woori Yallock in 1890 to Henry Ferguson sen. (deceased by 1915) and Mary Ellen Ferguson. He was a farmer. He was initially rejected for military service as muscle-bound. On enlistment, Henry had been a member of the Upper Yarra Rifle Club for 6 years and also trained with 13th (Gippsland) Light Horse. He was declared permanently incapacitated on February 16, 1919.

Fisher, Victor Vale Valentine, 6315

Service No:	6315
Occupation:	jockey & labourer
Address:	Clarke St Lilydale
Date of Enlistment:	October 25, 1916
Age at Enlistment:	25
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	Previously rejected for service 6 times due to foot problems. Victor was 5 ft 5 inches with a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.
Next of Kin:	Robert Fisher, father, Clarke St, Lilydale
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	18th Reinforcements, 21st Battalion; 6th Battalion
Embarkation Details:	Embarked at Melbourne on November 23, 1916 on the Horatio

Places and dates of service:

1917 February 4: Arrived in England.
1918 October 6: transferred to 6th Battalion, France
Repeated hospitalisation and return of problems with his feet saw Victor proclaimed permanently unfit in January 1919

 

Returned to Australia:	February 1, 1919 on Argyllshire
Discharge Date:	March 3, 1919
Rank at Discharge:	British War Medal; Victory Medal
Honours/Medals:	Private
Memorials:	Shire of Lillydale Honour Board

Family Story:

Victor V. V. Fisher was born in 1891 at Lilydale to Robert and Mary Ann Fisher. Victor’s feet were a problem for years and the cause of his first rejection for military service. His condition was called Hallux Valgus, causing his feet to fail during long marches. His father Robert Fisher died in 1927 aged 77 and his mother Mary Ann Fisher in 1936 aged 85. They are buried in the Lilydale Cemetery.

Their children were Marjory, Robert, Emma, Isabel, Victor and Myrtle. The family is referred to in the publication Gun Alley. Victor, it seems, loved speed and was involved in a Malvern motor cycle accident in 1923, and a Box Hill motor car accident in 1925.

At the time of the Malvern accident, Victor gave his address as c/o stationmaster, Warburton.By 1925 he was back at Lilydale. Victor was an early member of the Lilydale RSL. The minute books show that in 1929 he had a son Cyril aged 12, in 1931 a son Fred aged 12, and in 1932 a son Victor aged 9.

Footett, N., (Silvan)

Footit, Ormond Stanley, 717

Service No:	717
Occupation:	Carrier completed 2 years as an apprentice butcher at Mansfield.
Address:	–
Date of Enlistment:	October 27, 1914
Age at Enlistment:	23 years and 11 months
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5 ft 7 ½ inches, weighing 11 st, with brown hair, hazel eyes and a florid complexion
Next of Kin:	Henry Footit, father, of Alexandra; later of Marysville House, Main St, Lilydale
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	2nd ANZAC Light Horse
Embarkation Details:	May 20, 1915 left for Alexandria on the Caledonia

Places and dates of service:

1915 March 28: 4th Light Horse, 1st Div. Cavalry
1915 December 27: Joined the M.E.F. at Alexandria
1916 April 23: Disembarked at Marseilles.
1916 July 7: 2nd ANZAC Light Horse Regiment
1916 September 26: Duty with C.R.E. Armentieres, France
1916 December 5: rejoined Regiment, France
1917 April 16: Duty with NZ Division, France
1917 April 22: rejoined regiment, France
1917 July 14: Gun shot wound to head;
1917 August 5: transferred to England with compound skull fracture.

 

Returned to Australia:	January 3, 1918 on the Anchises
Discharge Date:	February 8, 1918
Rank at Discharge:	Private
Honours/Medals:	1914-15 Star; Victory Medal; British War Medal
Memorials:	Not known

Family Story:

Ormond Stanley Footit was born in 1890 near Euroa in Victoria, to Henry and Selina Elizabeth Footit, nee McKay. Ormond was an apprentice butcher to Mr Nicholas of Mansfield for 2 years, prior to enlistment.
On November 20, 1908 the Alexander & Yea Standard carried a court report from Alexander Court: Osmond Footit proceeded against William Chilcott for using insulting words.
Osmond’s father Henry Footit moved from Alexandra to Marysville House, Lilydale, during WW1. His uncle and aunt C. A. Graham and Mrs J. F. Graham lived in Murchison and wrote to inquire on the extent of Ormond’s injuries.
Mrs Graham’s nephew Lieut. L. E. Hewetson was overseas and the family wanted the cousins to meet up.
A Mrs A. E. Wigg of Strangeways Terrace, North Adelaide also inquired about Ormond’s injuries as she had communicated with him while he was in France.

Ormond’s sister, Agnes Lauretta Footit of 55 Croydon Rd Croydon applied for his Gallipoli Medallion. She writes that her two older sisters are not only twins but TPI war widows.
Osmond Stanley was a member of Lilydale RSL. Selina Elizabeth Footit died in 1932. Ormond Stanley Footit died in 1943. He is buried at Box Hill Cemetery

Foster, Frederick Holden, 192

Service No:	192
Occupation:	Labourer
Address:	Merbein/ Montrose
Date of Enlistment:	March 13, 1915
Age at Enlistment:	24 years
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5ft 6½in all, 136lbs, grey eyes, black hair, dark complexion
Next of Kin:	Father, Angus Holden Foster
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	24th Btn.
Embarkation Details:	May 8, 1915 Melbourne on HMAT Euripides.

Places and dates of service:

1915: to Gallipoli.
1915 October 4: wounded Gallipoli.
1915 October 9: Died of Wounds.

Service injuries:
1915 October 4 : gunshot wound to sacrum/buttocks) at Gallipoli. He died of wounds at sea on ship Assaye on October 9, 1915. He is buried at the Pieta Military Cemetery Malta Row 1 – 13A. ‘He gave his life for them’

Discharge Date:	Not applicable
Rank at Discharge:	Not applicable
Honours/Medals:	1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Memorials:	Montrose State School Honour Roll and has a tree planted in his memory.

Family Story:

Fred was born 1891 in Abbotsford to father Angus Holden Foster. He must have attended Montrose State School, as he is on their Honour Roll and has a tree planted in his memory. He went to Gallipoli very early and had gunshot wound of which he later died October 9, 1915 at sea.

Fraser, C.,

Fraser, G. George ?,

 

Fraser, James Edward, 1715

Photo of James Fraser and family as published in As It Happened Volume Two 1900 to 1920.

 

Service No:	1715
Occupation:	Vigneron
Address:	Yeringa Vineyard, Yering
Date of Enlistment:	May 24, 1915
Age at Enlistment:	23 years and 5 months
Marital Status:	Single
Physical Description:	5ft 6 inches tall, weighing 11 st 3 lb, with brown hair, blue eyes and medium complexion
Next of Kin:	James Fraser sen., father
Rank on Enlistment:	Private
Unit Name:	2nd Reinforcements 23rd Battalion
Embarkation Details:	Embarked from Melbourne July 16, 1915, on the Demosthenes

Places and dates of service:

1915 August 23: at Heliopolis, developed renal stone;
1915 September 17: sent home.

 

Returned to Australia:	October 13, 1915 to Melbourne, on the Beltana
Discharge Date:	Returned home for renal treatment
Rank at Discharge:	Private
Honours/Medals:	Coldstream & Yering War Memorial; Lilydale Presbyterian Church Honour Roll
Memorials:	British War Medal; 1914-15 Star; Victory Medal

Family Story:

James Edward Fraser was born near Lilydale in 1892 to James Fraser sen. and Polly Fraser.
His brothers were Simon, George and Charles. He was a vigneron at Yeringa Vineyard, Yering.
After enlisting, James developed a renal stone as soon as he arrived overseas and was sent home for treatment. On arrival at Melbourne October 13, 1915 he visited his family at Yering before returning to Melbourne on November 8, 1915 for an operation. He died from injuries received that day in a Princes Bridge cable car accident. On December 7, 1915, a Departmental request asked for ‘light employment’ for his brother C. F. Fraser.

James Edward is buried at Lilydale Cemetery with his uncle Simon Fraser. James Fraser sen. died in 1926 aged 65. Polly Fraser died in 1931 aged 68. They are buried alongside James Edward Fraser and Simon Fraser. A photograph of their headstone is included in the L&DHS Stories Behind the Headstones project, along with further information.