Pte
Frank Warren Pinkham
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 03/07/1879 |
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Place of birth: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: 17 Blanche Street, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia |
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Profession: Bricklayer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 4170 |
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Enlistment date: 13/08/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 23rd Bn. (Victoria) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Dairy Wood, Broodseinde, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 38 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 23 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Frank Warren Pinkham was the son of Charlotte and Wilmer Pinkham. He was born on 3 July 1879 in Adelaide, South Australia. Before the war, he lived in Collingwood, Victoria and worked as a bricklayer. Frank enlisted in the Australian Army and was a part of the 23rd Battalion (6th Brigade, 2nd Division).
Frank was killed on 9 October 1917 at the Battle of Poelcapelle, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 6th Brigade's start lines were at Broodseinde. The 23rd Battalion's objective was to take Rhine House, a fortified ruined farm south of Decoy Wood and Daisy Woods. A and D Company, which included Frank, attacked across a front 125 yards wide. The attack started at about 5.20 a.m. Artillery support was light, as the muddy ground created obstacles. The 23rd Battalion came under fire from (machine) guns from their right flank, from near Daisy and Busy Woods. The battalion managed to take Rhine House and started digging a defensive line with the left flank hinged on Rhine House and the exposed right flank near Daisy Woods. After consolidating the line with Rhine House, a Vickers machine gun was brought forward to protect the gap between the right flank of the 23rd Battalion and the left flank of the 21st Battalion. By dusk, the 23rd Battalion was relieved.
Frank Warren Pinkham died at the age of 38. According to an eye-witness, he was hit in the abdomen near Dairy Wood by a bullet, after which he died instantly. It is unclear where he was buried. His body was not recovered or identified after the war. His name is commemorated on the Menin Gate.
Frank was killed on 9 October 1917 at the Battle of Poelcapelle, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 6th Brigade's start lines were at Broodseinde. The 23rd Battalion's objective was to take Rhine House, a fortified ruined farm south of Decoy Wood and Daisy Woods. A and D Company, which included Frank, attacked across a front 125 yards wide. The attack started at about 5.20 a.m. Artillery support was light, as the muddy ground created obstacles. The 23rd Battalion came under fire from (machine) guns from their right flank, from near Daisy and Busy Woods. The battalion managed to take Rhine House and started digging a defensive line with the left flank hinged on Rhine House and the exposed right flank near Daisy Woods. After consolidating the line with Rhine House, a Vickers machine gun was brought forward to protect the gap between the right flank of the 23rd Battalion and the left flank of the 21st Battalion. By dusk, the 23rd Battalion was relieved.
Frank Warren Pinkham died at the age of 38. According to an eye-witness, he was hit in the abdomen near Dairy Wood by a bullet, after which he died instantly. It is unclear where he was buried. His body was not recovered or identified after the war. His name is commemorated on the Menin Gate.
Sources 5
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23rd Battalion Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/40/25). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Austin R., Forward Undeterred: The History of the 23rd Battalion 1915-1918, (McCrae, Slouch Hat Publications, 1998), 132-134. Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, PINKHAM F W). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1600360 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=6fb4b6b1-3b45-483a-aaef-33ae449fd3ca |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7547559 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=241838 |