Pte
Robert Vesey Fitzgerald
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
General information
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Profession: Accountant |
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: 6557 |
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Enlistment date: 03/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 49th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Romulus Wood, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Cemetery
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Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood Plot: XXIII Row: A Grave: 14 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Private Robert Vesey Fitzgerald served in the Australian Infantry 49th Battalion, part of the 13th Australian Brigade, of the 4th Australian Division.
On the 12th of October 1917 the 4th Division participated in the First Battle of Passchendaele. The Division advanced with two Brigades, the 12th and the 13th. The former was to lead the attack, while the latter held the front line in support.
At 5.20 am the 12th Brigade advanced towards its first objective, which was reached on time by the 47th Battalion. The 48th Battalion pressed on and was able to take Assyria. However, due to German counter-attacks, they were eventually forced to leave the position.
In the meantime the 13th Brigade was holding the original front line in support of the attack. The 49th Battalion was part of one of two battalions who held the line near Tokio and Zonnebeke Lake. The Germans were continuously shelling the Australian positions, which resulted in an unusually high number of casualties.
Private Robert Vesey Fitzgerald was killed in action on the 12th of October 1917, close to Romulus Wood, near the Red Line, the first objective. He was possibly killed by German shellfire at the Red Line, possibly while assisting or supplying the 47th Battalion. His remains were exhumed after the war and reinterred in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
On the 12th of October 1917 the 4th Division participated in the First Battle of Passchendaele. The Division advanced with two Brigades, the 12th and the 13th. The former was to lead the attack, while the latter held the front line in support.
At 5.20 am the 12th Brigade advanced towards its first objective, which was reached on time by the 47th Battalion. The 48th Battalion pressed on and was able to take Assyria. However, due to German counter-attacks, they were eventually forced to leave the position.
In the meantime the 13th Brigade was holding the original front line in support of the attack. The 49th Battalion was part of one of two battalions who held the line near Tokio and Zonnebeke Lake. The Germans were continuously shelling the Australian positions, which resulted in an unusually high number of casualties.
Private Robert Vesey Fitzgerald was killed in action on the 12th of October 1917, close to Romulus Wood, near the Red Line, the first objective. He was possibly killed by German shellfire at the Red Line, possibly while assisting or supplying the 47th Battalion. His remains were exhumed after the war and reinterred in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
Sources 2
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49th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/66/17). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, FITZGERALD R V). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx 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/480222 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=7a386a6e-f5ed-4ec3-9e47-f8c17c66cf8c |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7437579 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=98550 |