Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Frenderick and Margaret Jane FRANZ, of Hendra, Brisbane, Qld.

Arthur was single and farming at Stoney Creek Caboolture when he enlisted in February 1916. After the war he worked as a teamster at Upper Caboolture. Arthur had been wounded and gassed during the war. He disappeared from the family farm on 6 April 1930 and was never seen again. A younger brother, Cecil Charles Andrew [3031] also enlisted but died in 1918.

Arthur returned from WWI a changed man - he'd lost his spark and suffered from bouts of depression. He never married and owned a dairy farm next to his mother's farm in the Caboolture area. One night, he had dinner at his mother's and went home to bed. He seemed fine - nothing out of the ordinary. Next morning he was gone. His bed had not been slept in, and his gun and his dog were still in his house as were coins on his dresser. Search parties spent weeks looking for him to no avail. Police bulletins were sent around Australia and New Zealand with no luck. This occurred just 11 years after his return from the War.

Courtesy of Marjorie Earl

Brisbane July 7 1941 - Arthur Edward Franz, dairy farmer, who served with the A.I.F. in the last war, vanished from his home at Upper Caboolture 11 years ago and has not been heard of since.  His mother, Mrs. Margaret Jane Franz, widow applied to Justice E.A. Douglas in the Supreme Court today for lave to swear to the death of her son.  His Honor adjourned the matter to July 14 to enable more affidavits to be filed.

Mrs. Franz said in the petition for a grant of probate that Franz was last seen alive by her at 8.30pm on April 5 1930, when he went to his bedroom. 

William Theodore Franz, dairy farmer, said in the affidavit that Arthur was wounded and gassed in the last war.  He returned in 1919, and afterwards appeard depressed occassionally.  Arthur's financial or domestic position never caused him any worry.  The affidavit described an extensive search made of the district after Arthur was missed.  Where Arthur had disappeared the undergrowth and lantana was so thick that one might search within a few feet of a body without seeing it.  His disappearance had been notified in other States, but brought no response.