| Regimental number | 776 |
| Place of birth | Balmain, New South Wales |
| School | Birchgrove Public School, Balmain, New South Wales |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Occupation | Warehouseman |
| Address | 18 Fitzroy Avenue, Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 22 |
| Height | 5' 8" |
| Weight | 133 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, Ernest Henry Vale, 18 Fitzroy Avenue, Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Previous military service | Nil |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Liverpool, New South Wales |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 30th Battalion, C Company |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/47/1 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Corporal |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France |
| Age at death | 22 |
| Place of burial | No known grave |
| Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 117 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Commemorated on the Balmain Rowing Club Roll of Honour. Parents: Ernest Henry and Sarah VALE. Native of Sydney |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 11 December 1915. Promoted to Temporary Corporal, 2 March 1916. Promoted to Corporal, Ferry Post, 5 April 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Posted missing in action, 20 July 1916. Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 23 July 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'. Statement, Red Cross File No 2810508, 650 Sergeant A.H. ELLIS, C Company, 30th Bn, 24 August 1916: 'I saw him wounded in the head at Fleurbaix in the charge on July 19th. His wound did not appear very serious. One of his mates bandaged it with his field dressing. This occurred about halfway across to the German lines. I did not see him again.' Second statement, 1317 Pte E.J. SAVELL, C Company, 30th Bn, 28 August 1916: 'I saw him badly wounded and bleeding freely from the face, sitting down on the left of a crater which had been exploded in the middle of No Man's Land. This was about an hour after the beginning of the attack on 19.7.16. He had been over to the German trenches, was there wounded and was on his way back when I saw him. I spoke to him and though he seemed badly wounded he said he was all right. I was advancing at the time and had to leave him. We did not retire till the next day. He seemed very exhausted and was saturated with blood.' Third statement, 617 Lance Corporal J.R. BISHOP, 30th Bn (patient, 1st London General Hospital, Camberwell, England), 24 November 1916: 'Informant states that on the 19th July at Fleurbaix, Informant saw F. (sic) G. Vale in a mine crater with a wound in the shoulder and a scratch on his temple.' Fourth statement, 741 Pte F.W. RAY-SMITH, 30th Bn (patient, No 1 Australian General Hospital, Rouen), 8 December 1916: 'In No Man's Land I saw him wounded by a bayonet in the left shoulder, and a slight head wound ... I shouted to him and he said he was going back. We were retiring at the time and nothing more was ever heard of him.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, VALE Tasman George
Red Cross File No 2810508 |