Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918
Sergeant Major Frank Hughes, 14 Inf Bn. Source: Essendon
Gazette 3 June 1915.
Hughes F Col Sgt 212 Frank 14 Inf Bn 33 Balance maker Married Meth
Address: Moonee Ponds, Winchester St, 13
Next of Kin: Hughes, A E, Mrs, 13 Winchester St, Moonee Ponds
Enlisted: 13 Sep 1914
Embarked: A38 Ulysses 22 Dec 1914
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Essendon Gazette, 27 May 1915
Sergeant Major Frank Hughes, of Winchester street, Moonee Ponds, is reported as wounded. He was in the South African war for 285 days, and received the Queen's Medal and clasps, with the Coldstream Guards. He was on duty at the funeral of the late Queen Victoria; and also at the coronation of King Edward. Sergt-Major Hughes is a member of the Methodist Church, and has been in the Gladstone street choir for some time.
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HOLDING A RIDGE
COST TO COMPANY TOLD
"We were getting from destroyers to the boats when my Quarter-Master-
Sergeant named Murphy gave a gasp and that was the end of him," writes
Sergeant-Major F. Hughes to his wife, Mrs A. E. Hughes, Winchester street.
Moonee Ponds, from the Government Hospital, Alexandria, on May 10.
"Shrapnel was dropping all around us. However we managed to reach the
shore when two or three more were struck. We made covers or dug outs
and stayed there the night. The hills seemed to be alive with sharp-shoot
ers. The country was all hill and scrub. Next morning we advanced
and our men were shot in the back and sides by these men secreted in the
hills. We climbed the second hill and my company defended a ridge. Then
a machine gun was turned on us. We stayed there all night and the next
day. Out of a company of 206 we lost 10 killed, 36 wounded and 6 missing.
"On May 1 we took up another position. No. 3 company were losing very
heavily. It was noticed that the Marine Light Infantry, who were on
our right, were firing very dangerously close to us. Some one had to go and
tell them to stop. I told two men to come with me, knowing it was my duty
to save my men, even if I gave my own life.
We had got near to their trenches when a shrapnel shell burst at the
back of me and I was struck at the bottom of the back. As I lay there a
sharpshooter put an explosive bullet through my thigh for luck. So I
rolled half way down a bank, until picked up by stretcher bearers,
"It was a bad wound, about 2 1/2 inches wide. It took us two days to
get here, and I was admitted on a Tuesday evening. On the Thursday
I went through an operation and found I had been cut from the
bottom of the back to the top of the right thigh. A little higher or to the left
and I would now be a dead man.
"This hospital is a fine - place, about 100 yards from the sea front, with a
staff of kind English nurses and Arabic attendants. We have good food, with
two oranges or bananas each day. One has nothing to complain about at all.
We frequently receive visits from people Who bring us cigarettes, books,
writing material, and a cake or so. The clerical people come and read us all the
war news."
HOLDING A RIDGE (1915, June 29). The Herald
(Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242360503
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The Argus Wednesday 30 June 1915
"EVEN IF I GIVE MY LIFE."
In a letter received by his wife in Moonee Ponds from Sergeant Major Hughes, 14th Battalion, then in hospital at Alexandra, he writes -
"My company defended ridge. A machine gun was turned on us. We stayed all night and the next day and night and out of a company of 206 we lost 10 killed 36 wounded and 6 missing. On May 1 we took up another position and No 3 Company were losing very heavily. We were supports, when it was noticed that the Marine Light Infantry, who were on our right were firing very dangerously close to us. Someone had to go and tell them to stop; and as no volunteers were forth coming, I asked two men to come with me, knowing it was my duty to save my men, even if I gave my life. We had got near to their trenches when a shrapnel shell burst just behind me and I was struck just at the bottom of the back, and as I lay there a sharpshooter put an explosive bullet through my thigh for luck, so I rolled halfway down a bank until picked up by the stretcher bearers..... I tell you candidly, I have gone through the mill. I have now had a fortnight in bed, and am heartily sick of the sight of it. When at the front I thought I would give anything for a week's sleep. I have had two weeks, and another six to look forward to. I saw Corporal Howart[1] shot in our first engagement, also Captain Hoggart[2], my captain when in B Company".
Wednesday 30 June 1915
Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1528024
[1] 219 Corporal Alfred Charles Howat, 23, clerk of South Melbourne
[2] Captain William Ross Hoggart, 38, schoolteacher of Brighton.
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Essendon Gazette 7 August 1915
C.S.M. F. Hughes (14th Battalion), of Moonee Ponds, is reported to be in hospital, and Private E. S. Simpkins (7th Battalion) is also in hospital.
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Recruiting Notes.
The recruiting staff at the Moonee Ponds Town Hall is augmented by the presence of Warrant-Officer Frank Hughes, a returned soldier of the Boer War, late of His Majesty's Coldstream Guards and a Gallipoli veteran, and well known to the residents of Essendon as a local man who has been keenly interested in platform work in anything and everything connected with the call of Empire.
Recruiting Notes. (1918, February 7). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74605054
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Mentioned in this publication:
Attended a farewell function for Elletson G Pte 51578 mentioned in Essendon Gazette 7 Feb 1918.
Addressed children at an Empire Day ceremony at Moonee Ponds West State School Essendon Gazette 31 May 1917.
War Service Commemorated
Essendon Town Hall F-L
Moonee Ponds Methodist Church
Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour Wounded
Welcome Home 7 Nov 1918
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