Frank Walton Mayfield (1896 - 1917)

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Timeline 1.2 ->1896 Birth @ Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia 1.3 ->c.1910 Cadets @ State School, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia 1.4 ->1915-17 Military Service @ Australia, World War I 1.5 ->1917 Death @ Bullecourt, Pas-de-Calais, France 1.6 ->1917 Memorial @ Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France 2 Sources

Biography

When Frank Walton Mayfield (1896-1917) enlisted on 20Nov1915 he signed that his age was 21 Years 7 months which was a lie as he was only 18 years 7 months according to the date given on his birth certificate. He embarked aboard the HMAT Clan McGillivray A46 at Brisbane, Queensland on 7Sep1916 with reinforcements for the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, ^[1] disembarking at Plymouth, England on 2Nov1916 and proceeded to join the 15th Battalion on 31Dec1916 and took to the field on 6Jan1917. The European winter of 1916-17 was the coldest for several decades, and would have been unbearable in the trenches of the Western Front. ^[2]

On the 16 May 1917, Frank's sister Nurse Daisy Mayfield of the General Hospital, Maryborough Qld wrote :

To the Secretary

Dear Sir

As I have not had any mail from my brother, No 6218, Cpl. F. W. Mayfield, 15th Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade, A.I.F., B company, for some considerable time, I am anxious of his whereabouts.

If you could, supply me with any information whatever, I would be very much obliged.

Trusting you will favour me with same.

Thanking you in anticipation.

I am Yours faithfully,

(Nurse) Daisy Mayfield

General Hospital, Maryborourgh, Queensland

In reply to her letter, the Officer in charge of Base Records on 25May1917, informed that her brother was officially reported to be missing since 11Apr1917 and that "this message was sent to the Military Commandant, Brisbane, on 8May1917 for transmission to the soldier's mother, whose address is recorded as Wetheron, Gayndah, Q."

However on the 13Nov1917 a note was made in base records that advised Frank had been Killed In Action on 11Apr1917. He had died 5 days after his 21st birthday - still 7 months younger than he had attested at his enlistment.

Along with most of the 4th Brigade, the battalion suffered heavy losses at Bullecourt in April 1917 when the brigade attacked strong German positions without the promised tank support. ^[2] Frank Walton Mayfield's name is located at panel 77 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France and on the Cenotaph at Wetheron, Queensland. ^[3]

On 23July1921, Mr Walton Mayfield wrote from Wetheron about his son,

"Dear Sir

I regret I have not much information to give to help you identify my late son. His last letter to me have no address. I was speaking to one of his mates who went from here with him, and he informs me that he was close to my son, when they went into Bulle Court on April 11th 1917. And he helped to try and find him but could not see or hear of him anywhere.

He say the German shells were falling right amongst them that morning and thinks my son must of been smashed up with one for only a few of the Regiment came out of Bulle Court.

I am Yours Faithfully

W. Mayfield.

In connection with the late Pte. F. W. Mayfield, 15th Battalion, his father Walton Mayfield received:

• no personal effects of his son Frank
• the Memorial Scroll and King's Message, on the 4Aug1921
• the Memorial Plaque on the 21Oct1922
• the Victory Medal on the 6Apr1923
• the 1914/15 Star
• the British War Medal

Miss A Smith of the Electric Telegraph Office, Postmaster General's Dept, Brisbane, Qld wrote two letters to the Officer in charge of Base Records and to Lieutenant C. H. King, wishing to learn of any casualty reports concerning No 6218 Corporal F. W. Mayfield, 15th Battalion. She was assured on the 21Mar1917 (a couple of weeks before he died) that "in the absence of same it may be assumed he is with his unit.

However in a hand written letter on 27May1917, to the Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, she reveals that she learnt that No 6218 F. W. Mayfield (Pte) 15th Battalion was "reported in newspaper here on the 19th inst. "as missing", therefore I would be obliged if you could advise me, from what date he was missing." to which on the 4Jun1917, was replied that he was "reported as missing from 11Apr1917 and no further information has come to hand." ^[4]

• Research Note: It has not been discovered what relationship Frank W. Mayfield was to this Miss A Smith.

Timeline

->1896 Birth @ Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Birth Registration #16744/1896 of Frank W MAYFIELD, child of Walton (father) and Ada E (mother), on 06 Apr 1896, registration district: Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.^[5]

->c.1910 Cadets @ State School, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Later he attended the State School at Broken Hill, NSW where he had school cadet training as part of the Broken Hill Cadet Corps.^[6]

->1915-17 Military Service @ Australia, World War I

Frank Walton MAYFIELD, born at Broken Hill NSW, single, farmer, enlisted at Brisbane QLD on 20Nov1915 with Service Number 6218. His Next of Kin was his Mother, Ada Emma MAYFIELD of Wetheron, Gayndah, Queensland. He signed that his age was 21 Years 7 months The Examining Medical Officer described him as 21 years, 5ft 8in, 132lbs, of dark complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair with a birth mark on his right upper arm and a scar on his right calf among other distinctive marks. He served with the 42nd Battalion in the rank of Private from 23Feb1916.

Frank Walton Mayfield had active service in the 15th Battalion, A.I.F / 20th Reinforcement and embarked on the O.C. Troops "Clan MacGillivray" at Brisbane, Queensland on 7Sep1916 disembarking at Plymouth England on 2Nov1916. On the 21Dec1916 he proceeded to France per the Princess Clementine via Folkestone. On 30Dec1916 he was promoted to Acting Corporal and proceeded to join the 15th Battalion on 31Dec1916 and took to the Field on 6Jan1917.

On the 21Apr1917 he was reported as Missing in Action in France, but on the 2Nov1917 that was updated to Killed in Action on 11Apr1917 in Bullecourt, France by the 15th Battalion Court of Enquiry held at Crepy. ^[4]

->1917 Death @ Bullecourt, Pas-de-Calais, France

Frank Walton Mayfield died on 11Apr1917. The Queensland death index (Reg#1922/F/5526) also lists father as Walton Mayfield, and mother as Ada Emma Shaw, with the registration being recorded as an Australian Imperial Forces death that occurred overseas during World War I of service personnel whom enlisted in Queensland. .^[7]

->1917 Memorial @ Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France

Private Frank Walton Mayfield was remembered at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: 6218 Private Frank Walton Mayfield; accessed 13 Mar 2022
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Australian War Memorial unit record: 15th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 13 Mar 2022
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial roll of honour: 6218 Private Frank Walton Mayfield; accessed 13 Mar 2022
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} National Archives of Australia, Military Service Records, Online repository https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8030428 accessed 13Mar2022
5. ↑ 'Births Search Results BROKEN HILL', Government of New South Wales, Justice, Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages, online repository https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search Accessed 13Mar2022, Reg.#16744/1896
6. ↑ World War I Roll of Honour circular, forms sent to next of kin seeking details regarding the deceased, online repository https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068883/document/5581742.PDF accessed 13Mar2022
7. ↑ 'Birth Death and Marriage indexes.' Qld Govt Search Historical Records, https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ Accessed 13Mar2022.
8. ↑ Private Frank Walton Mayfield (unknown-1917) - Find a Grave Memorial on Find A Grave: Memorial #16185620 retrieved 13 March 2022

• "Public Member Trees", database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/81998316/person/162048053520/facts : accessed 13 March 2022), profile for Frank Walton Mayfield.