CROOKS, Frederick Charles
| Service Number: | 4117 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3 Field Ambulance AMF |
| Born: | Unley, South Australia , 9 March 1894 |
| Home Town: | Unley, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk ( Civil Service) |
| Died: | 25 December 1986, aged 92 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 6 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 4117, 3rd Field Ambulance | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4117, 3 Field Ambulance AMF, Frederick Charles embarked to join the MEF in Alexandria, Egypt. | |
| 28 Aug 1915: | Transferred Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), 3 Field Ambulance AMF, Frederick Charles was 'Taken on Strength' at Gallipoli. | |
| 20 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4117, 3 Field Ambulance AMF, Frederick Charles rejoined his unit after getting wounded 3 months earlier. | |
| 23 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4117, 3 Field Ambulance AMF, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations, Frederick Charles Crooks disembarked at Alexandria. | |
| 4 Dec 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4117, 102 Australian General Hospital, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations, Frederick Charles was admitted to the AGH after getting wounded at Gezira, Egypt. | |
| 5 Dec 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4117, 3 Field Ambulance AMF, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Frederick Charles Crooks was born in Unley, South Australia, on the 9th of March, 1894. He was born to Thomas John Crooks and Catherine Nee Evans of 18 Maud St, Unley, SA. Frederick was 5'4 in height and had a dark complexion with grey eyes and dark hair. He worked as a cleric prior to his enlistment on the 6th of May, 1915 at Keswick, SA. He enlisted when he was 21 years old with no major military training prior to enlisting. So he was assigned the role of a field ambulance driver.
Frederick Charles Crooks embarked on the 20th of August, 1915 to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Gallipoli. He was posted to the Australian Army Nursing Service (3rd Field Ambulance) on the 28th of August, 1915 at Gallipoli. He fought as part of the ANZACs while also carrying bodies and wounded people away from the battlefield. While fulfilling his job of transporting wounded he was injured himself, but he re-joined his unit in time to fight in Egypt and Palestine.
After Gallipoli, he was transferred to Egypt on the 23rd of November, 1915, where he continued his service as part of the 3rd Field Ambulance. During his time at war in Egypt and Palestine, Frederick had been wounded several times and was forced to leave his unit twice. He got his first injury on the 4th of December, 1915, when he got shot while fulfilling his job of carrying the wounded away from the battlefield at Gezira and was admitted to the AGH for a quick recovery. Though the injury wasn't too serious, he got shot again the next week and was admitted once more to the AGH for a few months after which he was transferred to fight in Palestine.
While at Palestine, Frederick began experiencing severe headaches that disabled him from fighting for a week. He spent a few days resting in hospital and was told that the headaches were a result of constant fighting in the trenches and lack of sleep. Once he was fit to fight again, Frederick resumed his job of transporting the wounded to hospital. He was transferred to Port Said a month later where he continued his part in war. He spent 2 more years at Palestine and Egypt during which he had sustained three more injuries and another week of headaches in Cairo. After continuous fighting, Frederick embarked on the 'TOFUA' at Suez, and finally returned to Australia on the 30th of January, 1918.
Once he returned to Australia in January, 1918 after serving overseas for 2 years and 222 days, Frederick Charles Crooks received a Victory Medal from the AIF for his part in the Australian Army Nursing Service and for continuing to fight after several injuries.