Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

 Before the War:

George Francis was an Australian World War One soldier born roughly in March 1893 in Cheshire England. George had brown hair and blue eyes and his complexion was fresh. He lived in normal life working as a labourer in South Australia. He was part of the church of England and he lived with Mrs Till in Honeton house, Howard Street, Kensington, South Australia. George Francis did not have a lot of family as he was single, and his only other family member was his mother, Mrs L Francis.

On 27 May 1915, George Francis enlisted in the Australian military force. At the time he was 22 and two months old and was 5’5” (167.64 cm) which was slightly above average in that time. Also, he weighed 154 lb (69.8 kg) which was below average. Then for the next four months, George took part in some basic training. All soldiers were required to partake in basic training before they were recruited. This training aimed to build up physical fitness and confidence, instil discipline and obedience, and teach fundamental military skills that are necessary to function in the army. After his training, he embarked to Egypt on the 21st September 1915 on board the HMAT A15 Star of England. The ship was made in September 1914 in Queensland and was one of the first ships to carry soldiers to Egypt.

During the War:

Once George arrived in Egypt, further training was undertaken until the battalion was committed to the Gallipoli campaign. On the 25th November, George was taken on strength from the battalion reinforcements at Mudors. This means that he was added to the 10th battalion but it unlikely he went to the Gallipoli campaign. On the return to Egypt George was transferred to the 3rd Machine Gun Company (attached to the same 3rd Brigade as the 10th Battalion was in) in March 1916 and with this unit he went to France in April. He served with this unit for the remainder of the war without being wounded or seriously ill.  

On the 5th of February 1917, George was promoted to the driver. Infantry battalions did not have mechanical transport in World War 1. Therefore, he is likely to have been a driver of a horse in the transport platoon. The horses drew small wagons carrying weapons, ammunition or the cook's trailer. Later that year George went on leave to England on the 22nd of August 1917, although the reason is unknown. His mother lived in England throughout this time, so he was most likely visiting her. He then returned on the 3rd of September 1917. There is then almost a year break where no information on him was recorded. We can yet again assume that he partook in battle, training, conferences and relocations.

Then on the 11th of October 1918, George was granted leave to the UK. The reason is yet again not stated but it is assumed that he was visiting family again. He then re-joined his battalion on the 23rd of October 1918. By this time Australian troops were no longer in combat. 

A month after re-joining the battalion, George was sick and got admitted to hospital on the 28th of November 1918. The cause of his illness is unknown, but it is most likely that he got sick after he returned. There is also a small possibility that George contracted his illness while he was on leave in England, but it is unlikely. Fevers, parasites and infections were rife on the frontline and ripped through the troops in the trenches. The diseases and viruses that were most relevant were influenzas, typhoid, trench foot and trench fever so it was most likely one of those. George then transferred to a different hospital on the 1st of December. This could have been because the hospital was full, or his condition got worse. While George was sick in the hospital, he missed out on many things stated in the unit diaries, like an inspection by the King, a lecture on ‘The British Empire’ by Bishop Long, a lecture on ‘Regimental Traditions’ by Lieut Colonel Ross and indoor training. He also missed out on a recreational training in early December. He then recovered on the 4th of December 1918.

Towards the end of the war, George Francis committed a crime. He committed the crime of being absent without leave (A.W.L) from February 18, 1919, to February 24, 1919. As punishment for his actions, George was reverted to the rank of a private from a driver. There were many other worse punishments out there like fines and imprisonment. 

After the war

George embarked to return to Australia on the 5th of April 1919. He received the ‘Victory Medal’, the ‘British War Medal’ and the ‘1914-15 Star’. George Francis died on the 27th of June, 1942. The victory medal was awarded to all those who served in the armed forces during the First World War. The British War Medal was a silver medal awarded to officers and men of the British and Imperial Forces who either entered a theatre of war (an area of active fighting) or served overseas (perhaps as a garrison soldier) between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 inclusive. The 1914-15 Star was a bronze medal with the dates 1914-15 in the centre of the star. These included all who served in any theatre of war outside the UK between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. George died on 27th June 1942.