| Regimental number | 2592 |
| Place of birth | Radford England |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Occupation | Seaman |
| Address | 7 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo, New South Wales |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 26 |
| Next of kin | Father, William Frith, 4 Shirley Terrace, Redford Road, Nottingham, England |
| Enlistment date | |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 3rd Battalion, 8th Reinforcement |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A54 Runic on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 3rd Battalion |
| Fate | Effective abroad (still overseas) |
| Other details |
War service: Western Front Following the battle of Pozieres, in which the 3rd Bn lost 13 officers and 484 men, Frith deserted on 17 August 1916, and remained absent without leave until 7 October 1916. In December 1916 he was court martialled on a charge of desertion. At the court martial it was revealed that Frith had previously deserted from the 55th Bn at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, and had been struck off the battalion's strength in April 1916. Frith was sentenced to be shot, but under Section 98 of the Defence Act, such a sentence had to be confirmed by the Governor-General. That confirmation was not forthcoming in any cases where Australian soldiers were sentenced to death. Frith's sentence was changed to one of 10 years' imprisonment, and was reduced by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig to one of 2 years' imprisonment. |
| Sources | Richard Glenister, 'Desertion without Execution: Decisions that saved Australian Imperial Force deserters from the firing squad in World War I' (BA Hons thesis La Trobe University, 1984). See also court martial file, 2592 Pte H. Frith, Australian Archives, Canberra, CRS A471, Item 22280.~ |
Postal Address:
Po Box 7916
Canberra BC 2610, Australia
Street Address:
Northcott Drive,
Campbell, ACT 2600
