George Kitchener Fritz (1918 - 2007)

Born 11 Apr 1918 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Mavis Gwendolyn (Woodall) Fritz — married 1 Oct 1941 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 31 Aug 2007 at age 89 in Queensland, Australia [uncertain]

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Biography

George Fritz was born in Queensland, Australia

George Fritz has Prussian Roots.

George Fritz is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

Trooper George Fritz served in the Australian Army in World War II
Service started: 29 May 1941
Unit(s): 2/16 INFANTRY BATTALION
Service ended: 27 November 1944

George Kitchener Fritz was born on 11 Apr 1918 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia. He is the son of Paul Fritz and Edith Gorsch. ^[1]

George worked on properties then at the Nanango sawmill. He then took up share farming near Inverlaw.

George married Mavis Gwendolyne Woodall on 1 Oct 1941 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] After their marriage, George and Mavis worked milking cows.

George Kitchener Fritz served in World War 2 with the Australian Army, attaining the rank of Trooper. He enlisted on 29 May 1941 at Kingaroy, Queensland. His Service Number was QX38865 (Q136041). His last posting was the 2/16 Infantry Battalion. He was released from service on 27 November 1944. ^[3]

They share farmed in Kingaroy and near Chinchilla. In 1965 they bought their first house in Kingaroy. George worked for Main Roads and the Council. In their retirement they liked to travel and they had a campervan. They were interested in horse trotting, gardening, dancing and community work. George and Mavis lived in Kingaroy, Queensland. ^[4]

George Kitchener Fritz died on 31 Aug 2007 and was buried in the Taabinga Cemetery, Taabinga, Queensland. ^{[5] [6]}

Recollections

I was born in Kingaroy on the 11th of April 1918. My parents, Paul Carl Fritz and Edie Agnes nee Gorsch, already had 2 children and another 8 were to follow me. They named me after King George and Lord Kitchener.

I attended the Inverlaw State School from 1925- 1930. We lived at Four Mile Gully at Inverlaw and walked 3 miles to and from school each day. There were 36 cows to be rounded up and milked before and after school. This was quite a task on a cold and frosty morning especially since I rarely had shoes to wear. School lunches consisted of bread and dripping or bread and jam, never more than one spread on the bread at a time. To make the bread and dripping a little bit more interesting, I would find some fresh, juicy “pig-weed” and put that onto the sandwiches. My teacher at school was Arthur Wood.

To earn a little pocket money we would work for Joh Bjelke-Petersen picking up sticks as Joh cleared the land. We were paid 2 schillings (20 cents) a day for this job. After I left school I worked for and with the Frame family, the father Dave and sons Jack, Bob and Angus. This involved droving cattle and fencing and ring-barking around Auburn and on Burnwood Station. The friendship remains today with the Frame family.

Around 1938 I worked in the sawmill at Nanango. From 1939 until 1941 I undertook share farming for the Frame family on their dairy farm called “Log Cabin” between Stuart Valley and Inverlaw.

On the Ist of October 1941 I married Mavis Gwendolyn Woodall in the Methodist Church Kingaroy. We had met in 1930 when Mavis attended Inverlaw School for 2 weeks. At the start of our married life we worked on a dairy farm at Coolabunia milking cows. on wages of 12 pound per month ($24-00).

In 1942 I was working on the Kingaroy Aerodrome, building the runways for the air force. I enlisted in the A.I.F. in 1942 and was stationed at Goondiwindi then Gympie and Goomeri where I did my training. I was then sent to Ravenshoe for “jungle training”. I was a member of the 2nd 16th Battalion, 7th Division and was camped at the Millstream Falls together with 75000 troops.

March of that year saw the birth in Kingaroy of our first child, Beverly Joan. It was then off to New Guinea by boat for me. I saw action at Shaggy Ridge and then transported back to Queensland in a hospital ship. I spent time in Army hospitals at Greenslopes and Warwick and in all was in hospital for 5 months out of the next 12 months.

I was sent back to the Atherton Tablelands to re-join the troops and also spent time in the hospital at Rocky Creek near Atherton (2nd 6th AGH). At wars end I was sent back to Brisbane and into hospital again before being discharged in 1945.

From 1945 to 1952 we were once again share farming. We carried out dairying, pig farming and growing crops, mainly peanuts and corn. In 1949 our next child, Sharyn, was born in Kingaroy.

In 1952 our family moved to Hopelands, near Chinchilla. Once again we were share farming with dairying, pigs and growing crops, mainly wheat, oats and milo. Marilyn was born in Chinchilla in 1953. In 1965 we bought our first home in Kingaroy. I was employed by the Main Roads and then moved over to Kingaroy Shire Council working first as a labourer then driving a truck and then the shire’s low-loader. During my time driving the low-loader I travelled many miles shifting machinery not only for the council but also for private people. After Mavis retired she travelled with me in the low-loader also. I did this until I retired in 1984.

In retirement, Mavis and I have travelled many miles in our campervan. We have been right around Australia once and have travelled through the different states many times.

We have always had an interest in horses especially trotting horses. At one time I had 2 trotters which I raced at the local shows. I was a member of the Kingaroy Show Society for 20 years and held the position of Chief Trotting Steward for a number of years.

We are also foundation members of the Senior Citizens Club in Kingaroy. Our garden is another interest of ours and is usually full of flowers. We enjoy dancing and attended dances on a regular basis. We continue to be active in our community and have led active and interesting lives.

In 2001 we celebrate 60 years of married life. Through the good times and bad we have stuck together and now enjoy our family of daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth registration: George Kitchener Fritz Birth date: 11/04/1918 Mother's name: Edie Agnes Gorsch Father/parent's name: Paul Carl Wilhelm Fritz Queensland Birth Registration 1918/C/10591
2. ↑ Queensland Marriage registration: Mavis Gwendolyne Woodall Marriage date: 01/10/1941 Spouse's name: George Kitchener Fritz Queeensland Marriage Registration 1941/C/4872
3. ↑ World War Two Service (Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs : accessed 10 Feb 2023), Veteran Details for GEORGE KITCHENER FRITZ for Service with the Australian Army. Service Number: QX38865 (Q136041); Rank: Trooper; Enlistment from 29 May 1941 to 27 November 1944.
4. ↑ The Schafferius Story p34, Kerry Atkins 2001
5. ↑ FindAGrave: George Kitchener Fritz; Born: 11 Apr 1918; Died: 31 Aug 2007; Cemetery: Taabinga Cemetery, Taabinga, Queensland; Find A Grave: Memorial #183441371 accessed: 07 Sep 2022
6. ↑ The Schafferius Story p32, Kerry Atkins 2001
7. ↑ The Schafferius Story p150, Kerry Atkins 2001. George Kitchener Fritz - Recollections

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 09 February 2017, 22:17), entry for George Fitz(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LFCT-TLQ); contributed by various users.