Corporal Frederick Broughton

Corporal Broughton was born on the 29 Dec 1896 in Melbourne. He enlisted in the AIF on the 12th February 1915 at Wodonga having lied about his age, and was originally posted as Batman to 4 Brigade HQ. He gave his occupation as a farm hand and his religion as Church of England. His next of kin was his aunt, Miss Lucy Osborne c/o Mrs Webb of 200 Canning Street, North Carlton.

Frederick served on the Western Front with the 23rd Battalion 6th Light Trench Mortar Battery; spending most of his time close to the front line; enduring relentless barrages of enemy artillery fire. In July 1916, the battalion entered the Battles of Pozières and Mouquet Farm, where it suffered an estimated 90% casualties among its original members. In May 1917 they fought the battle of Bullecourt; successfully capturing all objectives during the Second Battle of Bullecourt. However a devastating German counter-attacks made this the single costliest day of the war for the battalion. Later that year, they fought in Belgium at Broodseinde Ridge. In “The Final Offensive” (1918) the unit helped halt the German Spring Offensive before launching into the Allied hundred days offensive, fighting at Hamel, Amiens, and Mont St Quentin. During World War I, the Australian 23rd Battalion suffered a total of 686 killed and 2,317 wounded (including gassed). The battalion’s motto was “Forward Undeterred”.

Returning to Australia – aboard “Port Macquarie” on the 28th March 1919 Frederick returned to farming near Wodonga. He was granted a Soldier Settlement Block at Peechelba, near Wangaratta in January 1921, but struggled to make a go of it. Nearly four years later he found work as a cook and walked off the “block” before signing up with the Australian Permanent Military Forces. Frederick died unexpectedly on 12 Oct 1936 aged 39 and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Queenscliff Point Lonsdale Cemetery. QCF-SECT-1A-807-041.

(Researcher Chaplain Geoffrey Traill)