Home

East Melbourne Historical Society

Drop-down menu

  • Articles
  • People
    • Notable Women
    • WW1 soldiers and nurses
    • WW1 nurses
  • History
    • Milestones
    • Buildings
    • Community
    • People
  • Gallery
    • Maps
    • MMBW plans
    • Abortion battles
    • Bishopscourt
    • Bishopscourt garden
    • Bomb shelter
    • Buildings
    • Cairns Memorial Church
    • Early Melbourne
    • Football
    • Jean Campbell
    • Lanes
    • Margaret McLean
      • Family and home
      • Female suffrage
      • Clippings - Australia
      • Clippings - Britain
      • Clippings - USA
    • Personalities
    • Yarra Park
      • History
      • Desecration
    • Yarra River
  • Catalogue
    • Browse and Search
    • Catalogue table view
    • Site images
  • Images
  • Society
    • Activities
    • Newsletters
    • Tributes
      • John Barrie Wykes
      • Wynne McGrath
    • Publications
    • About
Home
    • Home
    • Search
    • Forum
    • Contact

BOLTON, Francis Basil

Subjects

  • WW1
Author: 
Jill Fenwick
Family name: 
BOLTON
Given names: 
Francis Basil
Gender: 
Male
Religion: 
Church of England
Date of birth: 
1 January 1889
Place of birth: 
Birth St. Leonards, New South Wales
, Australia
33° 49' 31.7424" S, 151° 11' 48.0912" E
East Melbourne addresses
Year: 
1914
1916
'Verona', 180 Gipps St
, East Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia
37° 48' 40.6476" S, 144° 59' 9.2976" E
Military service: 
WW1
Rank: 
Second Lieutenant
Military units: 
15 Reinforcements, 6th Battalion
56th Battalion
Military casualty: 
Wounded on Field
Decorations and medallions: 
Victory Medal, British War Medal
Biographical notes: 

Francis Bolton was the younger brother of Reginald Bolton, and like him, lived with his mother and younger brother, Tom, at 'Verona', corner of Clarendon and Gipps Sts., East Melbourne.He was educated at Camberwell Grammar School, Canterbury, Victoria and then took out  Accountancy qualifications and was registered with the Insttute of Accountants, Victoria, before moving to Western Australia for work. He was a Business Manager at the time he enlisted and single, though he was to marry in 1918 on his return from service to Annie Fler Curdy.

Farnk Bolton enlisted on 2 January, 1915, in Melbourne. He had already had experience in the Senior Cadets and had attended Officer Training at Broadmeadows for two years rpior to joining the AIF. once enlisted, he was first sent to AIF Camp at Bendigo in October, 1915, before becoming a Lieutenant with the 15 Reinforcements, 6th Division at Broadmeadows. They embarked on 7 March, 1916, for Alexandria, on board the HMAT 'Wiltshire' A18.

On 3 May, 1916, Frank Bolton was transferred to the 56th Battalion, which left Alexandria for France on 9 June on board H.S. 'Huntsend', disembarking at Marseilles on 29 June . From here, they left for the Western Front, with their first major action at the disastrous Battle of Fromelles on 12 July, 1916. They were to be in the front line for nearly two months. Frank Bolton, however, was wounded with a gunshot wound to the head  on 20 July and was transferred back to hospital in England from Boulogne on 23 July. On his recovery, he was first sent to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, then served with the 14th Training Battalion on 6 October.

By 16 October, 1916, he as back with the 56th Battalion in the field, resuming his duties as Lieutenant. The 56th were still at the Somme and two months later, on 1 December, Frank Bolton was again wounded, this time severely, with a gunshot wound which shattered his upper arm,  fracturing his skull and displacing his head. According to his medical report, he was left with his 'ear totally and permanently destroyed', and 'medically unfit for further service'. He was admitted to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen, and then moved back to England tp the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. once recovered, he went to Cobham Hall to recuperate, but was readmitted to the hospital on on 15 February, 1917.

From here, Frank Bolton was placed on the Supernumerary List, and returned to Australia on board the 'Themistocles' on 2 May, 1917. He received a pension of four pounds a fortnight until March, 1918, when it was reduced to two pounds per fortnight. At this stage he was living at 38 Beach Avenue, Elwood. Though he had married Annie in 1918, on the 1919 Electoral Roll, he was a salesman, but not living with his wife, but was back with his mother at 'Verona' East Melbourne. However, by 1925, he and Annie, now Florence Annie, were living in Boston Rd. , Clayfield, Queensland and he was again working as a manager. There is a death recorded in 1928 of an Annie F. Bolton, of Murwillumbah, who may be his wife, but no further record of either of them is in the Electoral Rolls or other ists..

 

Acknowledgments: 

Australian National Archives, Service Record, Unit History 56th Battalion

Australian War Memorial, Embarkation Roll, Unit History 56th Battalion

Ancestry.com.au, Birthd,Deaths and Marriages records, Electoral Rolls.

Location map:
Javascript is required to view this map.
  • 3495 reads
  • Share this
  • PrintPrint
  • EmailEmail

User login

  • Join EMHS
  • Request new password
  • Privacy
  • Membership
  • About
  • Contact
  • Guidelines