ANDREW, Frederick Joseph

F. Joseph Andrew, as he signed himself, was just over twenty when he enlisted on 5 October, 1915. He was then a commercial traveller, unmarried, and gave his father, F.J. Andrew, living in Wellington Parade, East Melbourne, as his next of kin. His father, Frederick John Andrew, was then in the process of building his new family home, Yarra Yarra, 90 Vale Street, East Melbourne. He trained at Albert Park and embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Wiltshire on 18 November, 1915. He was initially a driver with the 4th Artillery Brigade, Ammunition Division, in Egypt, but had served for only four months before he was admitted to hospital at Heliopolis, suffering from a scald to his foot. On release, he was struck off the strength of the 4th March and on 3 May, 1916, was attached to th 47th Brigade, 12 Field Artillery B.R.11 Headquarters, with promotion to Bombardier. He served on the Western Front for eighteen months, but on 27 December 1917 he was wounded in action at Wychaute, near Commines, on the Western Front in Belgium. The action was recorded in the unit diary of Lieutenant Adjutant G. Raymond, Army Brigade Aust. F.A.: "Batteries carried out the usual Harassing Fire. At 7.30 pm, the 45th Battery was again shelled at 7.30 pm by 5.9 How. One man was killed and four wounded. The Counter Batteries were informed and on their opening fire the enemy ceased."

Joseph Andrew was picked up by the 49th Field Ambulance and transferred to 53rd Casualty Clearing Station. On 16 January, 1918, he was admitted to the 53rd General Hospital at Boulogne. He was then sent back to England on 19 January and  transferred to Boscombe Military Hospital and finally to the 1st Auxuiliary Hospital, Harefield, on 26 February 1918. 

Now declared Medically Unfit for further service, Joseph Andrew was sent home on 16 March 1918. He went from England to Suez, then left on the Kanowna for the continuation of his voyage, disembarking in Melbourne on 22 May, and being finally discharged from duty on 22 November, 1918. After the war, he moved to Footscray and then on to Chiltern, where he became a farmer. A letter to the Army on 4 December 1957 was sent from the Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg. Joseph Andrew was seeking copies of his discharge papers and his medals, following a fire which burnt down his house with all contents on 29 September 1957. He gave his home address as c/o Mrs. G. Kirk, 279 Williams Rd, South Yarra. He died at Chiltern, Victoria in 1958.