AVISION, Frank

Frank Avision was born in Western Australia, but was living at 15 Simpson St. East Melbourne when he enlisted on 8 January, 1917. he was 23 years old, single and gave as his next of kin, his cousin, Miss E. Ison, of Annendale NSW. He gave his occulation as a clerk , but it was noted on his enlistment form that he needed dental treatment and had tattoos on both arms and forearms, plus a large scar on his inside left leg.

He was attached to the 38th Battalion, which had come to France in late 1916 and was then in the trenches at the Western Front. In the winter of 1917,  when Frank joined up, they were heavily involved in raiding German trenches. Frank embarked from Melbourne on the 'Ballarat' on 9 February, 1917, disembarking on 25 April at Devonport, England and moving on to Durrington. In June, he was hospitalised with a 'traumatic hip'; he was re-admitted on 17 August to Fargo Hospital. Then on 18 August, 1917, he went absent without leave, and was not apprehended until 22 February 1918. He was charged and the case was heard at Hurdcott on 18 August; Frank Avision pleaded not guilty. However, he was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months detention at Gosport and the forfeit of 758 days' pay. 

He was not imprisoned for the full length of sentence. On 14 March, he was reported as having a cut wrist, though no conclusion was included about whether it was accidental or self-inflicted. A letter from the military authorities said he had been discharged from Lewes Detention Centre to the Alexander Hospital, then on 30 September, a document in his record advises that 'the unexpired portion of the above sentence (348 days) is remitted from 1/10/18.' He was again in hospital on 7 November, 1918.

Frank Avision was returned to Australia on the 'Argyllshire' on 9 December, 1918. At this stage he had a septic left arm. He was discharged from future military service on 9 March 1919. Strangely, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. From here, it's difficult to trace him. In 1934, he was living at 63 Upton Rd., Windsor, Victoria, and submiited two sworn statements to the military authorities. In the first, he asks that his Certificate of Discharge be replaced as it had been 'destroyed in a fire at the present address about six months ago'.  In the second, he asks for the replacement of hsi Returned Serviceman badge ' lost from the pocket of my coat while fishing in Fremantle W-Aust in the year 1922'. He does not appear on voters' rolls nor on census records.