FRITH, Herbert

Herbert Frith was the second child of Sydney Silver Frith and his wife, Nora, nee Murray. He was born in 1884, according to the Birth Index, but is listed elsewhere as born in 1887. He followed on from Florence (1881-1969) and Percy (1886-1969)  and was born in Williamstown, Victoria, where his father was a publican, running the Court House Hotel. His birth was followed in rapid succession by that of  Percy (1886-1949), Leonard (1889-1956) and Arthur (1892-1952).  Sidney Silver Frith had been born in 1857 in Longford, Tasmania, but had moved to Victoria. At the time the war started in 1914, he was living with Nora in East Melbourne; she ran a lodging house, he was a carpenter.

Both Herbert and Arthur enlisted for the war, but are not easily identified as brothers. While Herbert stayed with his original surname of Frith, Arthur's records all gives his surname as Firth. Even on his enlistment form, he writes his surname as  Firth.

Herbert declared that he was 31 and three months old. He was married, but had a Deed of Separati0on from his wife, signed in September 2012.He was placed in the 13-18 Reinforcements for the 24th Battalion and sailed for France on board HMAT Themistocles A32 on 28 July, 1916. The ship docked at Plymouth on 11 September. Five days later, they proceeded to France on board the SS Victoria from Folkestone, landing at Etaples. On 21 December, Herbert Frith was taken on strength with the 24th Battalion.

The 24th had been raised in March, 1915, and sent first to Egypt, then on to the Western Front. In July and August, 1916, they had taken part in the battle of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, so reinforcements must have been very welcome. After the fierce winter of 1916, forcing a lull in the fighting, the German Spring Offensive began. Herbert Frith was wounded in action on 9 March, with a gunshot wound to his face. He was admitted to the 10th and then the 3rd Casualty Clearing Statiuons, before being placed on an ambulance train to Rouen for hospital treatment. The wound cannot have been too severe, because on 24 March, 1917, he was sent to a convalescent Depot, and on 8 April, was listed as being at the No. 2 Convalescent Depot, Rouen.

Herbert Frith did not rejoin his Battalion until 19 May, 1917.  He was lucky. On 3 May, the battalion had been part of the push to capture the village of Bullecourt. Eighty percent of the men of the 24th became casualties and, of the three divisions involved, 7, 482 men were casualties. It was a dreadful slaughter.

Frith was ill on 28 July and sent to hospital, admitted to Douelles NYDN. He was discharged to duty on 12 August, but was given leave in England from 11-29 January, 1918. he returned to the Battalion, but was again wounded in action, this time from a gas attack on 13 March, 1918. He was admitted to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station at Calais and then transferred to Boulogne. He did not rejoin his battalion until 22 June, 1918, and 12 days later, on 4 July, was wounded for the third time, with a gunshot wound to his left thigh.

On 6 July, 1918, Herbert Frith was sent back to England and admitted to the Duchess of Connaught Red Cross Hospital at Taplow. he was discharged on 2 December and transferred to the Concalescent Depot at Parkhouse. He stayed there until 30 May, 1919, when he was returned to Australia on board the transport Derbyshire.

In 1919, he was back working as a barman, the job he had had before the war,and was living with his parents at 539 Victoria Parade. Herbert Frith died at Prahran in 1934, aged 50.