World War 1, Australia Western Australia,865 FREARSON, 44 Battalion, 1916
1916865 Corporal Clement Cooke Junction FREARSON, Killed in Action 4 June 1917, with his sister Olive
The 44th Battalion was established in February 1916 in Claremont, Western Australia, as part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division. Commanded initially by Lieutenant Colonel William Mansbridge, it earned the nickname "Old Bill's Thousand." The battalion left Australia on 6 June, arrived in Britain for additional training, and reached France in late November. It saw its first frontline action on the Western Front on 29 December.
Throughout the winter of 1916-17, the 44th Battalion alternated between frontline duties and work in rear areas, interrupted only by a major raid on 13 March 1917. Its first significant battle was at Messines in Belgium from 7 to 10 June. Following this, the battalion was actively engaged in the Ypres sector, participating in the battle for Broodseinde Ridge and enduring severe losses. Of the 992 men involved, only 158 returned unscathed by the time the battalion was relieved on 21 October.
For the next five months, the 44th Battalion rotated between rear and front lines in Belgium. When Germany launched its last major offensive in March 1918, the battalion was quickly deployed to France, helping halt the advance on Amiens. As the Allies prepared their own offensive, the 44th took part in the battle at Hamel on 4 July and was involved in the major Allied push starting on 8 August. The battalion's final action was breaching the Hindenburg Line at the St Quentin Canal in late September. Severely depleted by then, it was relieved from the front before the war's end and disbanded in May 1919.
Details
Details
Open in Google Maps
Nearest geotagged records:
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94866 JONES OM (0.26km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2808 LAWRENCE, 10 Light Horse (0.27km away)
- Photo of the inauguration of the War Memorial Dowerin. (0.29km away)
- Photo of Stewart Street Dowerin in the 1930s. (0.41km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3659 HARRIS, 10 Light Horse (21.21km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2458 BARR, 10 Light Horse (21.29km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2794 LOCKYER, 10 Light Horse (22.44km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1587 EVANS, 10 Light Horse (22.56km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45267 BIRT (nee ACKLAND) (22.57km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3961 SLATER, 10 Light Horse (22.58km away)
View all geotagged records »
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Other items from Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
- World War 1, Europe, France, Villers-Bretonneux, 1914
- World War 1, Europe, Belgium, Florennes, Château des Recollets, 16 Battalion, 1918
- World War 1, Europe, 16 Battalion, 1918
- World War 1, Australia, 16 Battalion, 1914
- Inter War, Australia Western Australia Rockingham, 10 Australian Light Horse, 1938
- World War 1, Middle East, Syria, 10 Australian Light Horse,1917
- World War 1, Europe, 1917
- World War 1, Africa South Africa Durban, 1917
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia, ELLIOTT, Australian Field Artillery, 1917
- World War 1, Europe, 1917
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia, 2541 TEMPLE, 51 Battalion, 1916
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia, 3052 HIDDLESTONE, 10 Australian Light Horse, 1916