Frederick Nuel Bascombe enlisted on 13 March, 1916, nominating his father, Herbert Bascombe, then living at 50 Gipps St. East Melbourne, as his next of kin. He was at the time serving a five year jewellery apprenticeship at Joseph Lawrence Proprietory Limited in Melbourne. He had served four years in the Senior Cadets and the Citizens' Military Force. He was taken on as a Private with the 37th Battalion, which embarked for France on HMAT Ascanius to Plymouth on 18/7/1916. The 37th had been formed in Seymour, with recruits coming from Gippsland, north-east Victoria and Melbourne. The battalion was moved to France on 23 November, 1916, to fight on the Western Front, where they were heavily involved in raiding German trenches. The winter of 1916 was terrible and on 4 December, Frederick Bascombe was in hospital sick, then rejoined his unit on 9  December and was again hospitalised on 15 December. He rejoined his battalion again on 22 December. In February, 1917, he was promoted to Corporal, and then in May to temporary Lance Corporal. By now he was with the 38th Battalion in Belgium, fighting at Messine in early June, at Broodseinde on 4 October and at Passchendaele from 12 October, where the 38th Battalion had 62% casualties.

In December, 1917, Frederick Bascombe was wounded accidentally by an explosion in a fireplace. His father was advised on the wounding on 1/1/1918, then that he was in hospital on 27/1/1918 and then, on 25 April, 1918, that he was being returned to Australia. He was returned, nominated as an invalid, on the 'Shropshire' on 16/5/1919 and was discharged from service on 30 June, 1919.