Francis Laurel Vertue (1890 - 1916)

Born 1890 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Died 3 Sep 1916 at about age 26 in France

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Biography

Francis Vertue was born in the Colony of Victoria (1851-1900)

Francis Vertue is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Private Francis Vertue was killed in action during World War I.

Francis Laurel Vertue was born in 1890. He was the son of William Francis Vertue and Harriet Annie Aubrey. ^[1]

He was 25 when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Adelaide in Jul 1915. He embarked with the 11th reinforcement, 12th Australian Infantry Battalion from Adelaide on HMAT Benalla A24 on 27 Oct 1915.
On arrival in Egypt he joined the 52nd Battalion. They departed Alexandria on the Ivernia, arriving in Marseilles on 11 Jun 1916.

3 September 1916 the 52nd fought in its first major battle at Mouquet Farm. Francis was reported wounded and missing on 9 Sep. In November whereas he was previously reported wounded and missing, he was now reported killed in action on 3 Sep 1916. Francis is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.

THE LATE PRIVATE F. L. VERTUE.

Mr. W. Vertue, of Glenelg, has been notified that Private F. L. Vertue, previously reported wounded and missing, died on the battlefield. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria State Government, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Francis Laurel VERTUE. Birth. Registration number 9605/1890. Mother Hart Annie AUBREY, Father Wm Francis. Place of birth Ballarat. Link to search page
2. ↑ "THE LATE PRIVATE F. L. VERTUE." Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 18 November 1916: 43. Web. 20 Nov 2022 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87528385>.

• First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 VERTUE Francis Laurel : Service Number 3297 NAA: B2455, VERTUE FRANCIS LAUREL
• First World War Embarkation Rolls. (Australian War Memorial, http://www.awm.gov.au : accessed 20 Nov 2022) Frances Laurel Vertue Service number 3297. Rank Private. 12 Infantry Battalion - 9 to 12 Reinforcements (September-December 1915) Date of embarkation 27 Oct 1915. Place of embarkation Adelaide. Ship embarked on HMAT Benalla A24
• Roll of Honour. (Australian War Memorial, http://www.awm.gov.au : accessed 20 Nov 2022) Francis Laurel Vertue Service number 3297. Rank Private. Unit 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion. Date of death 3 Sep 1916. Place of death France. Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France.
• Private Francis Laurel Vertue (Commonwealth War Graves Commission, https://www.cwgc.org : accessed 20 Nov 2022) Service number 3297. Australian Infantry A.I.F. 52nd Bn. Died 3 Sep 1916. Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 November 2022), memorial page for Private Francis Laurel Vertue (1889–3 Sep 1916), Find A Grave: Memorial #16189557, citing Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France; Maintained by Digger (contributor 50072026) .

See also:

• Francis Laurel Vertue Virtual War Memorial Australia
• 12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements Photograph and research page.

Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree Project

• Commemorating the Missing Database Link for Frances Virtue