Frederick John Stratton was the only child of John Angus Stratton, a carpenter, and Agnes Peet. He was born in 1890 in South Yarra. His mother died in 1911 and two years later his father remarried, to Eliabeth Florence Thompson. They also had one son, Edgar John Stratton (1914-1980). Frederick Stratton married Grace Muriel Hitchen in 1912. They had three children, two pre-war and one post-war: Grace Agnes (1914-1975); Olive Hitchen (1915-2100) and Lois Catherine (1921-2009). Frederick Stratton was an accountant, living at 22 Brunswick St., East Melbourne when he enlisted on 11 April, 1916. He gave his wife, Grace, as next of kin and her address as 10 Jolimont Rd., Jolimont, so the family may have moved here while he went to war. He had already had 18 months military training in the Senior Cadets and noted in his record that he was a Voluntary Commissioner.

Fred Stratton was placed in the 21st Battalion and embarked for active service on 23 November, 1916, on board HMAT Hororata A20, with the other members of the 21st Battalion. They landed at Plymouth on 29 January, 1917, and marched out to Perham Downs. Fred Stratton, however, was admitted with a mild case of mumps to Devonport Military Hospital on the same day they landed. He was discharged from hospital, but must have had a long term disability, most probably weak eyesight, as a result.

He was discharged from hospital on 13 February, 1917, and sent to Perham Downs, but on 20 February, was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital with bronchitis. Discharged again on 13 March, he was appointed to the Lark Hill Training Battalion. In May, he was sent the School of Musketry at Tidworth, where he graduated 1st Class and said to have 'a fair knowledge of the Lewis gun'. 

He was still in Britain in August and was classified as permanently based there. On 21 November, 1917, he was attached to the Permanent Cadre of the 6th Training Battalion where he stayed for the next six months before being transferred to the 5th Training Battalion on 22 April, 1918.He had just over two weeks with them before he was again transferred, this time to Headquarters at Tidworth.

The war came to an end on 11 November, 1918, but the huge task of repatriation of men and equipment was to take months and Fred Stratton had the skills to assist in the task. He was officially transferred from the 21st Battalion to the 22nd Battalion on 14 November, 1918, to remain attached to Headquarters AIF Depots, U.K.  Here he worked with the Repatriation and Demobilisation Department until he was relieved of duty in January, 1919. He left England to return to Australia on board HT Orsova, landing in Melbourneon 27 Fenruary. He was officially discharged from the AIF on 14 May, 1919, declared medically unfit with defective vision. 

In 1924, he was living in Hampton with his wife, and working as an agent. They remained in the area for the rest of his working life. Frederick Stratton died in 1956, aged 66, at Brighton, Victoria. His death notice appeared in The Argus on Saturday 14 April: On April 12 (suddenly) at his home 849 Hampton Rd., North Brighton, Frederick John, beloved husband of Grace and loving father of Grace, Olive and Lois.