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Frederick James Lusted - Information

Frederick was one of two sons of Edward Charles and Rose Agnes Lusted. Edward and Rose married in Campbelltown in 1891, and were blessed with two sons William in 1892 and Frederick in 1895. When he was older, Frederick fell in love with Elsie Faddock, marrying in Burwood in 1914. They moved to Rozelle in Sydney, where Frederick worked as a bricklayer. When he was 21, he decided to enlist in the AIF on the 29th of January 1917 in Sydney. Frederick trained at the Royal Showground Camp and then with the 18th Depot Battalion in Liverpool. Here, he was posted to the 24th Reinforcements, 1st Battalion, before being shipped out from Sydney on the 10th of February 1917 onboard the RMS Osterley.

Frederick arrived in Plymouth, England on the 11th of April 1917 and was marched into the 1st Training Battalion. While completing exercises at Perham Downs, he was transferred to the 62nd Battalion. However, manpower shortages saw him sent overseas to France to reinforce the 3rd Division in late August. Once in France, Frederick left Rouelles Camp, to join the 35th Battalion on the 1st of September during the Third Battle of Ypres. Shortly after arriving in the trenches, Frederick was wounded in action at Broodseinde on the 4th of October 1917, shot in his right hand. He was admitted to the 5th Stationary Hospital, before rejoining his Battalion in mid December. Frederick suffered through the bitter winter and unsanitary conditions in the trenches. Consequently, in January 1918, he developed trench fever and was rushed to the 8th Stationary Hospital. By February, he was still very ill and was evacuated to England. He was admitted to the 1st London Hospital, and after recovering was granted a furlough. When he returned to duty, Frederick received further specialised training, before proceeding back to the Western Front in July. He returned to his 35th Battalion, now with the lewis gun section of D Company. On the 22nd of August, Frederick and several other troops were in a trench near the village of Bray, (Brae-Sur-Somme) SSE of Albert, engaged in an attack. Unfortunately, Frederick and many of his comrades were killed instantly when they were hit by an artillery shell. Frederick was buried near the village, and his grave stands today at Brae-Sur-Somme.

Back in Australia, Elsie and Frederick’s family were informed of his shocking death. Elsie eventually remarried a Mr H. H. Jackson and moved to Leichhardt. Elsie received Frederick’s war medals and plaques, and continued to honour the memory of her first love.