Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richard Fetherston enlisted on 19 February 1915, Service Number 26, age 27 years. His father was named as his Next of Kin and he was the Postmaster at Woollahra.

Richard was a civil servant - initially appointed in 1908 as a Junior Clerk in the Department of Public Health's Lunacy Department. He resigned from this position on 20 June 1913 and was then a Clerk 5th Class in the Accounts Branch for the Department of Home Affairs and had periods as Acting Pay Officer for NSW for Home Affairs. When he enlisted he was an Accountant with the Department of Home Affairs.

In the AIF he commenced as a Staff Sergeant, was promoted to Second Lieutenant in May 1916 and to Lieutenant in September 1916. He served in the Army Pay Corps in Egypt and and was then transferred to England in February 1917 serving with the Pay Corps at London and Weymouth during which time he was promoted to Captain. Whilst in Weymouth he married a 22 year-old widow, Ethel Avery on 21 June 1918.

He returned to Australian on the Orontes embarking in England on 25 October 1919 and arriving in Australia on 6 December 1919. With him were his wife Ethel and his daughter, Coo-ee Fetherston, with all of them travelling as first-class passengers. Coo-ee was born in December 1918 in Sussex.

Richard Arthur Fetherston was discharged from the Army on 7 February 1920 and was noted for “meritorious service rendered during the period of demobilization”.

Richard Fetherston's postcard of 21 September 1915 from Cairo mentions him travelling to Alexandria for three days to meet with his two brothers who were sailing for Gallipoli. These were:

Victor Edwin Fetherston
Enlisted on 9 April 1915 with age reported as 18 years. Served in Gallipoli from 14 Sep 1915 to ~ 12 Dec 1915 (evacuation of Gallipoli). Transferred to Army Pay Cops in England 1 Sep 1916. On 11 Dec 1917 was appointed as a Cadet in No 2 School of Military Aeronautics at Oxford. (These schools were the start of Australian air force squadrons). He was promoted to Second Lieutenant and transferred to France 16 Sep 1918. Returned to Australia on 25 January 1919 and discharged 24 February 1920.

Wallace Edgar Fetherston
Enlisted on 24 April 1918 at with age reported as 21 years and 3 months. Served in Gallipoli but was transferred to Alexandria Hospital on 26 Nov 2015 suffering from Rheumatism and wasting in the legs. Invalided to England 12 Dec 1915 and invalided to Australia 17 March 1916. Medical Records variably refer to: Chronic Rheumatism, wasting of the legs, Myalgia and Neuritis. Discharged on 19 Sep 1916 as medically unfit.

Following his return to Australia, Richard Arthur Fetherston rejoined the Commonwealth Public Service and in 1920 was appointed as the Certifying Officer and Authorising Officer for the Department of Works & Railways for the State of South Australia. In 1929 he was appointed to the same role in the Department of Works & Railways for NSW and moved to Sydney.

He and his wife had another daughter, Jill Ashley Fetherston, on 29 March 1930.