SAPPER FREDERICK CHARLES LUNDMARK
7171 – 2nd Tunnelling Company
On 19 October 1914 Frederick Charles Lumark completed the Australian Imperial Force ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’. He stated he had been born in London, England, was 24 years and 8 months of age, a Labourer by trade and was not married. He named as his Next-of Kin his father Fr. Lumark of S.S. Loongana, Launceston, Tasmania.
A medical examination on the same day found him to be fit for active service and recorded that he was
5ft 6¼ins tall, weighed 10 stone 7 pounds, had a sallow complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair.
On 20 October he signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Melbourne, Victoria and was appointed to the 1st Reinforcements Australian Army Supply Column as a Private soldier, with the service number 2776. at Broadmeadows, Victoria.
On 19 December he was redesignated to the rank of Driver and embarked at Newcastle, New South Wales on 21 December 1914 on board HMAT A35 Berrima as a member of the Divisional Train, 1st Reinforcements.
He returned to Australia from Egypt onboard Ulysses and was discharged at Melbourne 15 April 1915 for disciplinary reasons (misconduct) and was deemed not eligible for War Medals.
On 13 May 1915, Frederick again signed the ‘Attestation Paper’ as Frederick Charles Lundmark of Glasgow, Scotland. This time he was a Mariner, 24 Years and 11 months of age and named as his Next-of Kin his father Sedford Lundmark of the Marine Hotel, Launceston, Tasmania. He signed the Oath on 15 May at Claremont, Tasmania and was appointed to ‘D’ Company, G.26 Battalion.
He was described as 5ft 7in tall weighing 11 stone 6 pounds with a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. His religion had changed from Church of England to Presbyterian.
On 17 May he was transferred to the Divisional Engineers Company and taken on strength of the 4th Field Company, Australian Engineers, with the service number 4209.
He embarked on Simla on 5 October 1915 and remustered as a Sapper at Anzac, reporting for duty on 17 October. He reported sick on 30 October and was admitted to 6 Field Ambulance. On 1 November he was admitted to 1 ACCS with pneumonia and transferred to the Hospital Ship Nevasa on 2 November. He was admitted to 1 Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis with debility on 7 November and then to the Convalescent Hospital at Helouan on 12 November.
On 1 December he was transferred to ‘Light Duties’ at Giza. On 5 December he was admitted to 2 Australian General Hospital with “Gas Poisoning & Shock” and was transferred to 3 Auxiliary Hospital at Cairo on 9 December where he was diagnosed with “Kidney Trouble”.
He was transferred to the Convalescent Depot at Ras-el-Tin, Alexandria, on 17 December and discharged to duty on 16 January 1916, rejoining his unit at Tel-el-Kebir. On 1 February he was remustered as a Driver.
On 27 February he was admitted (sick) to the 15th General Hospital at Alexandria and discharged to duty on 1 March. He rejoined his unit (returned under escort from close confinement) but was acquitted by a Field General Court Martial at Tel-el-Kebir on 21 March, although no details are available.
On 24 March he was admitted to 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir with a bullet wound to the chest. He was transferred to 3 Australian General Hospital at Abbassia on 25 March and a Court of Inquiry was held the same day by Headquarters, 4th Divisional Engineers.
Evidence was given that a bullet most probably entered his back to the left of his left shoulder blade and exited to the left and above his left nipple, practically horizontal to a man standing.
The Court, (the President was Major R.V. Cutler), “After mature consideration pronounced that Driver Lundmark was accidentally shot, and that there was no evidence to show that the wound was intentional.”
Dangerously ill, he was not reported out of danger until 4 April. Between 15 and 22 April he was again reported to be dangerously ill. On 10 May he was transferred to the Hospital Ship Kanowna at Suez for return to Australia.
Leaving Suez on 11 May 1916 he arrived in Australia 16 June 1916 and was discharged in the 6th Military District on 6 November 1916 as medically unfit. On 7 November 1916 he was granted a War Pension of 20/- per fortnight.
Frederick re-enlisted in the A.I.F. at Melbourne, Victoria on 20 December 1916. Stating that he was a 25-year-old Shipwright, born in Glasgow, Scotland and then living in Launceston, Tasmania, he named as his Next-of-Kin his father Sedford Lundmark of Marine Hotel, Launceston, Tasmania.
He recorded that he had previous service of 4½ years with the Lancashire Infantry Regiment and 2 years with the A.I.F. abroad from which he had been discharged due to wounds received in action.
A medical examination at Launceston on 19 December had found that Frederick was now 5ft 7½ins tall and weighed 11 stone. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He had bullet-wound scars to his back and chest.
He signed the Oath at Claremont, Tasmania on 21 December and was appointed to the February Reinforcements to the Tunnelling Companies and given the service number 7171.
On 12 February 1917 Frederick was transferred to the Miners Reinforcements at Seymour, Victoria. He embarked at Melbourne on 11 May 1917 on board HMAT A9 Shropshire with the February Reinforcements
His War Pension, granted for his service with 4FCE, was cancelled on 7 June 1917.
Frederick was admitted to the Ships Hospital on 8 June 1917, and again on 15 June and disembarked at Plymouth, England on 19 June 1917 and marched in to Nos. 1&3 Camps at Parkhouse.
He was marched out of Parkhouse and in to No.2 Com. Depot at Weymouth on 9 August. He returned to Australia on board the Pakeha, leaving London on 27 August 1917 and disembarking in Melbourne on 22 October, stated to be suffering ‘shell shock’ contracted on Gallipoli. Frederick then travelled by steamer to Hobart.
He was returned to duty on 21 December 1917 and discharged from the A.I.F. in the 6th Military District on 31 January 1918, medically unfit.
The 1914-1915 Star was received by Frederick on 7 August 1920 at Launceston
He received his British War Medal and Victory Medal for service with 26th Battalion on 20 May 1922 at Launceston.
In August 1922, the Commonwealth Bank wrote to Base Records, Melbourne, seeking an address for ‘No. 2776 F.C. Lenmark, 1st Reinforcements, 4th Coy, A.S.C.’ as there was a sum of money remaining to his credit in the Bank.
The request was passed to the 6th Military District. Coincidentally, it was noted in the Press that a Frederick Charles Lunimark had been apprehended at Launceston on a charge of assault.
Base Records (6th M.D.) wrote to the Launceston Police seeking confirmation that ‘Lunimark’ and ‘Lundmark’ were the same person.
On 16 October 1922, Frederick was interviewed by Launceston Police and confirmed he enlisted under his correct name, had service as both 4209 and 7171 and was residing at Brisbane Street, Launceston. The Police were satisfied that he was the person referred to as Lundmark. He was at that time on remand on a charge of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm to an old man.
An undated letter from a mother, A. Lundmark, of Charles Street, Launceston, looking for her son Claude Lundmark is in the file of Frederick Charles Lundmark.
In April 1933, the Lyell District Sub-Branch R.S. & S.I.L.A. wrote to the Officer in Charge, Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, inquiring of behalf of Frederick if it was possible to secure a duplicate of his War Medals which had been lost in the floods in Launceston in 1928. A Circular (presumed to have been provided by Victoria Barracks, Melbourne) was sent to Frederick by the RSL Secretary on 9 May 1933.
The Service documents for Frederick Charles Lundmark, covering his three periods of service, were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Hobart in May 1951.
© Donna Baldey 2009