HAMPSON, Francis Christian

  Frank Christian Hampson was born in Sydney, possibly Strathfield, in 1887. He became a wool classer by trade, moving across NSW and Victoria to the different woolsheds. On 24 March 1915, he married Eileen Mary Evans, at  St Thomas Church, Essendon. They were to have a child, Murray Cecil Hamspon, born in 1916 and died in 1917. Perhaps because of Frank Hampson's work, he and Eileen did not have a permanent address, but 'resided in rooms at divers places'.

Frank Hampson enlisted twice, first on 12 January, 1915, when he was discharged for for misconduct, and then on 15 February 1918. In all, he served at the front for only two months, from  6 September, 1918 to 1 October 1918, serving with the 58th Battalion in the last days of the war. 

His second enlistment was on 3 July 1917, and embarked for overseas, presumably with the other members of the 10th Reinforcements of the 59th  Battalion.  On 8 March, they disembarked at Suez, then travelled to England on 30 April to disembark at Plymouth on 15 May. From here, They marched into Codford army  camp to join the 14th Training Battalion.  

On 12 June, Frank Hampson was sent for further training to the Musketry School at Tidworth, marchign in to the 14th Training Battalion at Codford on 13 July. On 29 August, he was sent to France, marching in to Le Havre on 31 August and was taken on strength with with the merged 58/59th Battalion on 6 September, 1918. This meant Frank Hampson would have missed the 58/59th's engagement in the battle of Mont St Quentin and Peronne on 31 August, but perhaps been there in the battle of St Quentin Canal on 29 September. Following this, the Battalion was rested and saw no further action in the war.

Illness precluded any further military engagement. Frank Hampson was admitted to the 53rd Casulaty Clearing station on 1 October with gastroenteritus, then transferred on 2 October to the 5th General Hospital and then on to the 2nd East General Hospital in Brighton on 5 October. Following his illness, he was discharged to furlow on 29 October, to report in to Hurdcott on 13 November. On 15 November, her marched in to Hurdcott, probably having enjoyed the celebrations marking the end of World War 1 on 11 November.

However, on 2 December, he was admitted to hospital again, this time with influenza. He spent a week at the Military Hospital in Sutton Veny, and then on to convalescence at No. 1 Convalescent Depot. It may have been Spanish Flu, because he was almost another year in England, with no reference in his record to a change of place.This was

On 22 December, 1919, he embarked on the troopship Bakara for return to Australia, disembarking at Melbourne on 14 February, 1920. He was discharged from the AIF  on 1 March, 2020, and identified as medically unfit  with gastritus. He resumed civilian life, living mainly in Sydney, but in 1924, deserted his wife, always with promises that he would return home. He also borrowed money from her and others.  In May 1929, was charged on three counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. On each of these charges, he was found guilty and given six months hard labour, with the judge saying that he could serve them concurrently.From 1924 onwards, Eileen saw him only intermittently and, with only a small pension from the government, had to work as a waitress to support herself. On several occasions, she travelled to Sydney at her own expense to see him, and each time, Frank Hampson renewed their marital relationship, and promised to return to Melbourne. At one stage, she lent him twenty pounds which he said was necessary for him to obtain a job; on another, she was to send him two pounds to buy a jacket before he could get a job. She suspected the story was false, but gave him the money anyway. In 1931, Eileen gave up and sought a divorce for desertion frm 1924 onwards. The documents of the case go to over 50 pages. She stated that 'the Respondent has wilfully deserted the Petitioner and without any such cause or excuse left her continuously so deserted.' The court ordered that papers be served on Frank Hampson, who intermittently lived at his mother's house, 'Huntly', 7 The Avenue, Strathfield, NSW. Eileen finally got her divorce, but it not finalised until 1936 due to the difficulties of serving papers on the defendant.

Ancestry.com.au records three marriages for Frank Hampson. The first, in 1914 was at Burrowa, NSW, to Zodie M. Blunden; then came the marriage to Eileen Evans, and finally, another marriage was recorded for Frank Christiam Hampson in 1934, he married Elsie Nellist, again at Burrowa, NSW. Burrowa was an early name for Boorawa, NSW.

Frank Hampson died, aged 75, on 8 January,1963, and was buried at Woronara Cemetery, Sutherland, NSW.