Frederick Behagg

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Fri, 13/01/2017 - 11:55

First Name:

Frederick

Last Name:

Behagg

Date of Birth:

Sunday, August 23, 1868

Date Enlisted:

Saturday, July 31, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

17th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Details:

Frederick Behagg (Service No 2465) was born in London. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 30th August 1888 and served on HMS Lion and HMS Rapid and was discharged from HMS Rapid in Sydney on 30th July 1891. Soon after he married Charlotte Moore in Goulburn, N.S.W. but they were divorced in 1904.

In 1907 he married Helen Waller in Wollongong, N.S.W. Frederick & Helen had a son in 1914, and were running Macquarie Villa, a boardinghouse in Thirroul, N.S.W. when Frederick enlisted.

At enlistment, Frederick stated his age to be 40, but he was in fact 47 years old.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A32 Themistocles with 17th Battalion, 5th Reinforcements on 5th October 1915. The troops arrived in Egypt in November 1915 but it is unclear if Frederick was sent to Gallipoli.

He joined B Company, 17th Battalion on 5th February 1916 and the troops arrived in France on 23rd March 1916.

On 29th May 1916 Frederick was wounded in action and evacuated to hospital in England for treatment of a gun shot wound to his left hand. He returned to his unit on 18th July 1917.

On 20th September 1917, while fighting at Polygon Wood Frederic was wounded a second time, receiving a severe shrapnel wound to his right thigh. He was sent to England again for treatment and repatriated to Australia in April 1918.

Frederick was discharged medically unfit on 5th November 1918.

Helen Behagg died in 1935.

Frederick's service is commemorated at the Thirroul Woodward Memorial Park.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, BEHAGG F