Marsden, Frederick Dickson
SURNAME
Marsden
NAME
Frederick Dickson
PLACE OF BIRTH
Sydney
OCCUPATION
Labourer
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT
Port Douglas
DATE OF ENLISTMENT
13/01/1915
NEXT OF KIN
Mother: Mrs Marion Marsden, Royal Hospital Paddington, Sydney
LINK TO DOUGLAS SHIRE
Enlisted Port Douglas.
Medical exam in Mossman by Collins 9-01-15
REGIMENT 1
9th Battalion AIF
REGIMENT 2
Camel Corps then 9th Infantry
RANK
Lance Corporal
CAMPAIGN 1
Gallipoli
CAMPAIGN 2
Middle East
CAMPAIGN 3
Western Front
KILLED IN ACTION
Yes, Belgium 20-09-17
OTHER INFORMATION
1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal. Memorial plaque and scroll to Mother. Letter from friend Hoare. Northern Herald 21-02.18. Letter from Marsden, Egypt 10-02-16
STORY OUTLINE
Frederick Marsden enlisted at Port Douglas, apparently working in the district as a labourer.
Frederick had been in the trenches of the Dardanelles for two months when a shell exploded near him. He was frequently ill and sent to hospital in Cairo. He was deaf in his left ear and was recommended for discharge in Oct 1915 as medically unfit with shellshock, but was transferred to the Camel Corps in Egypt January 1916 for eight months. While there he was demoted from Lance Corporal back to Private in June 1916 for disobeying orders. Then he was transferred to Etaples, France with 9th Infantry but sent to hospital at Stratford on Avon, England with bronchitis in March 1917.
In May he was back in Etaples and was killed in the field in Belgium on 20 Sept 1917 running to headquarters from the front line.. He is commemorated at Hooge Crater cemetery, two miles east of Ypres.
His nickname was Snowy and he was an active footballer in Cairns, and captain of 'Don' Company's team.
SERVICE NO
1984
