Regimental number | 1262 |
Place of birth | Normanton, Yorkshire, England |
Age on arrival in Australia | 17 |
Religion | Church of England |
Occupation | Watchmaker |
Address | 7 Shaftsbury Street, Moreland, Victoria |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 19 |
Height | 5' 4.5" |
Weight | 126 lbs |
Next of kin | Father, Samuel Woodcock, 7 Shaftsbury Street, Moreland, Victoria |
Previous military service | Nil (previously rejected for enlistment in 60th Infantry on account of 'def[icien]t height') |
Enlistment date | |
Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
Rank on enlistment | Signaller |
Unit name | 29th Battalion, D Company |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/46/1 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 29th Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France |
Age at death from cemetery records | 20 |
Place of burial | No known grave |
Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 1), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles, France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 116 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Samuel and Mary WOODCOCK |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Melbourne, 10 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 7 December 1915. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Missing in action, 19-20 July 1916. Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 23 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'killed in action, 20 July 1916'. File (p. 10) bears notation 'Believed buried in vicinity of Fleurbaix Sh 36'. Note on Red Cross File No 3010601: 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.' Statement, 356 Corporal F. WEBSTER, A Company, 29th Bn, undated statement: 'All the above men [166 L.R. BATEY, 1470 M.L. BRUNN, 80 S. FARLOW, 2033 R. GILL, 2050 J.I. HIGGINS, 320 F. PARRY, 361 H.J. WESTMORLAND, 1314 E.J. WILKIN, 1314, 1262 F.S. WOODCOCK] were in No. 3 Platoon along with himself and his brother ... The nine above named men were killed on the afternoon of July 19th. or in the morning of July 20th, 1916, when the Bn went into action at Fleur Baix (sic). All the above were killed either by Shellfire (sic) or Machine Gun, and were buried at the left hand of the sap which runs in to the back of Water Farm (POZIERES). This was a very large grave and contained about twenty or thirty bodies, and is marked by one big cross. They were all buried by a fatigue party from D. Company and some of the bandsmen. Informant was at the burial on the 22nd. July and saw the remains of the nine men named above, properly buried. Informant and his brother were the only two men left alive out of the Platoon, his brother was in charge at the time.' Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal |
Miscellaneous details | 'Moreland' crossed out on Attestation Form; replaced by 'Coburg'. |
Sources | NAA: B2455, WOODCOCK Francis Stringer
Red Cross file 3010601 |