CARR, Frank
| Service Number: | 63 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 9th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Yendon, Victoria, August 1890 |
| Home Town: | Rainbow, Hindmarsh, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Chemist |
| Died: | Melbourne, 22 May 1928, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 63, 2nd Field Ambulance | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 63, 2nd Field Ambulance, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 63, 2nd Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Jun 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Staff Sergeant, 2nd Field Ambulance | |
| 19 Apr 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, ANZAC / Gallipoli, 'Devotion to duty and good work during the period April 25th. to May 1st 1915 at ANZAC in continuously rescuing wounded from very exposed positions single handed and carrying them to the beach under exceptionally heavy rifle and shell fire and carrying water to the trenches on his return journey.' | |
| 4 Feb 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Staff Sergeant, 9th Field Ambulance, Later on the 1/9/1919 Frank Cahir worked with the Australian graves services as a photographer | |
| 27 Sep 1921: | Discharged AIF WW1, Staff Sergeant, 63, 9th Field Ambulance |
Staff Sergeant Thomas Frank Cahir (aka Carr)
From How We Served
63 Staff Sergeant Thomas Frank Cahir (aka Carr) DSM, MM of Rainbow and Preston, Victoria had been employed as a chemist when he enlisted for War Service on the 18th of August 1914. Allocated to the 2nd Field Ambulance 1st AIF, Frank embarked for Egypt and further training on the 14th of October and was to take part in the landing on Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915. For his devotion to duty from the time of the landing until the 1st of May Frank was recommended for the Military Medal which he was to be formally awarded.This he would receive in 1917 with the citation for his bravery reading as follows;-
'Devotion to duty and good work during the period April 25th. to May 1st 1915 at ANZAC in continuously rescuing wounded from very exposed positions single handed and carrying them to the beach under exceptionally heavy rifle and shell fire and carrying water to the trenches on his return journey.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 62
Date: 19 April 1917
Following the Gallipoli campaign, Frank returned to Egypt and was transferred to the 9th Field Ambulance with whom he served continuously throughout Northern France and Belgium from 1916 to 1918.. Whilst serving in France in the last year of the War, Frank was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery under fire whilst working with the wounded between the 27th of August until the 5th of September 1918, but due to an oversite, this award would not be made available until 2017. Owing to the changes of the decoration system over the 100 years since he was recommended for a second decoaration, his family were presented with the Distinguished Service Medal.
By War's end, Frank was attached to the Australian War Graves Unit with whom he was employed as a photographer and by the 22nd of July 1921 he had arrived back to Australia and was formally discharged from the 1st AIF on the 27th of September. Frank was to die suddenly at the age of 35 on the 22nd of May 1928 and was laid to rest within Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria.
Submitted 15 April 2019 by Evan Evans
Biography contributed by Virtual Australia
From AWM
Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Frank Carr, 2nd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, of Rainbow, Vic. A chemist prior to enlisting on 18 August 1914, he embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Wiltshire on 19 October 1914. He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) on 27 October 1916 and granted leave on 30 December 1918 in the United Kingdom. Carr is wearing a DCM ribbon, however this award was not gazetted. In September 1918 he was recommended for a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and most likely told he could wear the ribbon, a relatively common occurrence in the field, but as this award was not approved he did not ultimately receive it.
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