.Fred Lockyer was born in 1896 to Winifred (known as Winnie) Lockyer, and a man whose identity was not recorded in Perth Western Australia. He was the grandson of a well-known pioneering pastoralist and Aboriginal woman Ina Maddahan, from the Roebourne area situated in Northern Western Australia (Han. Peter, 2016; Australian War Memorial 2017, National Archives 2017). At the age of just three years Fred was placed in the Swan Native and ‘Half-Caste’ Mission, now renamed Swanleigh, by his mother. At the time Winnie was working as a domestic for the Strickland family on St Georges Terrace in Perth. Fred remained in the care of the Mission up until he was sent to work at the age of sixteen. In 1914, he was convicted of a minor offence and found guilty at the Narrogin Children’s Court, as a consequence he was sent to an Industrial School in Perth until he was 18 years of age (Han. Peter, 2016). 

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On May 4th 1915, Fred enlisted in Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) in Perth. He stated his occupation as a labourer, and his next of kin J.W. Armstrong who at the time was the manager of Swan Native and Half Case Mission (Han. Peter, 2016). After extensive training for seven weeks, Fred was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements of the 10th Light Horse Regiment Fred embarked on the HMAT Kanowna from Fremantle on the 2nd of July 1915 and arrived in Egypt towards the end of July (Han. Peter, 2016).  Further training led to Fred proceeding to Gallipoli in the early weeks of October, along with another 57 members of his regiment. Their arrival in Gallipoli was towards the end of the campaign so Fred and the others experienced only “odd shots and a few shells” (Han. Peter, 2016). The regiment was evacuated from Gallipoli on the eve of the 14th of December 1915 and transported to the Greek island of Lemnos; they then travelled further to Alexandria, Egypt.

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The regiment remained there for the next 6 months and served with the 3rd Light Horse Reserve Regiment at Heliopolis (Han. Peter, 2016). The men were then assigned to the 4th Australian Division Heavy Trench Mortar Battery at Serepeum on the 1st of April 1916. On the 13th of July 1916 Fred along with his regiment travelled on the HMAT Oriana to proceed to Marseilles, France; they arrived 6 days later. On their arrival they travelled to Ypres with sections of other Artillery Divisions (Han. Peter, 2016). Over the next three months Fred was engaged in conflict at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm and also Flers later that year. On April 9th 1917, Fred’s battalion was involved in the breaking through the Hindenburg Line that led to the capture of Bullecourt. On May the 3rd, Fred suffered extensive bruising at Boulogne as a result of a shell explosion. He was briefly hospitalised at the Australian General Base Depot at Rouelles (Han. Peter, 2016).

 

After his service with the Australian and English Army Force, Fred was discharged; however, he later joined the ANZAC Salvage Corps Company. He remained with the Salvage Corps Company until July 1917, when he was forced to leave due to an evacuation of troops that resulted in his returning to England. After he was evacuated, he joined the Australian ANZAC Ordinance Corps Depot in Millwall and Weymouth (Han Peter, 2016). In February 1918, Fred was sent to the Harefield 1st Auxiliary Hospital after contracting influenza. He later re-joined his unit for a short time before being admitted into the Hill End Military Hospital in June. Fred remained with the Ordinance Corps until he was approved indefinite leave ( Han Peter, 2016).

After serving his country for 4 years and 311 days, Fred wrote to the Defence Ministry in December 1919 and asked for a permanent discharge, even though he was still based in England. He had married four months prior while in England, and wanted to remain there with his wife Lily. He did not want to return to Australia, and stated “I have no parents in Australia being an orphan”. The military accepted his request and Fred was soon discharged from the AIF. A copy of his discharge certificate was sent from the Wagga Wagga Defence Department in New South Wales to his home in Wellington, UK (Han Peter, 2016).

 

Fred and his wife Lily went on to live a quiet life. He later passed away in Redfern, Sydney on May 8, 1958 having returned to Australia. Sadly, Fred was unaware that he had three younger half-siblings who were raised in Australia. Fred Lockyer rests in Macquarie Park Cemetery below a Commonwealth Memorial Plaque (Han Peter, 2016).

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Reference List

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C. Han. Peter (2016), They Served with Honour, Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Western Australia.

National Achieves of Australia (2017), Record Search Fred Lockyer, accessed 8th September 2017; https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/ItemsListing.aspx

RSL Virtual War Memorial (2017), Fred Lockyer, accessed 6th September 2017; https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/295908

The AIF Project (2017), Fred Lockyer, accessed 6th September 2017; https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=178626

Find & Connect (2017), Swan Native and Half Caste Mission, accessed 6th September 2017; https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/wa/biogs/WE00568b.htm

National Archives of Australia (2017), The Kanowna HMAT A61, accessed 8th September 2017; https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/groupstories/3400