Fredericksen, John
SURNAME
Fredericksen
NAME
John
PLACE OF BIRTH
Rockhampton, QLD
OCCUPATION
Labourer
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT
Rockhampton, QLD
DATE OF ENLISTMENT
4-09-1916
NEXT OF KIN
(mother) Sarah Fredricksen, Woodend via Rockhampton, QLD
LINK TO DOUGLAS SHIRE
Uncertain? Shire Honour Board (friend? of Norman Baird who was formerly from China Camp via Cooktown, QLD)
REGIMENT 1
7th Machine Gun Battalion
REGIMENT 2
2nd Machine Gun Battalion
RANK
Private
CAMPAIGN 1
Western Front
DATE DISCHARGED
11-10-1919
OTHER INFORMATION
British War Medal No.26379; Victory Medal No.25355
STORY OUTLINE
John Thomas Fredericksen was under age to enlist being only 18 years old and needed permission from his parents Jacob and Sarah of Woodend on the Central Queensland Railway near Rockhampton.
Jacob would later enlist himself in October of 1917 but was discharged at his own request shortly after for family reasons. John embarked aboard HMAT Medic A7 on 16-12-1916 at Melbourne and disembarked at Plymouth England on 18-02-1917 and after training at the Australian Machine Gun Depot at Belton Park England John was sent to France with the 7th Machine Gun Battalion on 13-11-1917.
After being hospitalised in France at Camiers with dysentry for an extended period in late 1918 he rejoined his unit, then five weeks leave in the U.K. in October 1918 followed by two months at the Universiti du Travail in Belgium (apparently for trade instruction). He returned to Australia on HMAT Persic A34 on 2-9-1919 and was discharged five weeks later.
SERVICE NO
507
