Frederick Allery MM (1911 - abt. 1998)

Ancestors

Biography

Frederick Allery MM was born on 26th September 1911 in Croydon, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. He was the second surviving son of Frederick Allery and Ellen Hay. ^[1]

The family migrated to New South Wales, Australia aboard the Themistocles in 1920. ^[2][3]

Frederick married Gwendoline Pilcher in 1934 in Balmain, New South Wales. ^[4]

On 3rd November 1939 Frederick enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force and was allocated to the 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion. ^[5][6] The battalion embarked for the Middle East in December. Frederick took part in the battalion's first campaign, helping to push the Italians westward in Libya and capturing the towns of Bardia and Tobruk (January 1941). ^[7]

By then holding the senior non-commissioned rank of Sergeant and appointed platoon sergeant 18th Platoon D Company, Frederick was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for 'initiative, efficiency, coolness and dash at Bardia 3rd January 1941'. ^[8][9]

Re-deployed to Greece and Crete, Frederick and his mates faced the overwhelming force of the German Airborne, some 500 unit members becoming prisoners-of-war when the battalion was forced to surrender. Those capable, escaped and made their way to Palestine (Israel) whereupon the unit was reinforced and garrisoned Syria against possible German counter-attack. As the 6th Division was a formation of the New Zealand and Australia Corps during the Greek-Crete Campaign, Frederick is legitimately an ANZAC. After attending Middle East Officers' School and being commissioned as a Lieutenant, Fred was posted as commander Mortars Platoon during the battalion's three-month garrison duty at Ceylon Mar-Jul 1942. In August 1942 deployed to Papua and the Kokoda Track. An emaciated unit moved to the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland in early 1943, remaining there until its final campaign, in New Guinea. ^[7]

By April 1945 Frdederick was posted as an instructor to Officer Cadet Training Unit, Seymour, Victoria. ^[8] He was demobilised on 31st July 1946, with the rank of Captain. ^[5] Following the war he was awarded the campaign and service medals: 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

He passed away, aged 86 years, on 13th August 1998 in New South Wales and his ashes scattered in Woronora Cemetery. ^[10][11]

Sources

1. ↑ FreeBMD Birth Index, England & Wales, 1837-1915 [database on-line]; Frederick Allery, Oct-Nov-Dec 1911, Croydon, Surrey.
2. ↑ UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960; Ancestry.com [database on-line]; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments; the National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England. Fredk Allery, age: 8, dep: 2 Jul 1920 from London, England to Sydney, Australia, vessel: Themistocles.
3. ↑ Thermistocles arrives from London with 300 immigrants on board
4. ↑ Births, Deaths and Marriages Index [database on-line], New South Wales; Frederick Allery & Gwendoline P Pilcher, 1934, Balmain South.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: Captain Frederick Allery; accessed 24 May 2021
6. ↑ WWII Military Service Record of Frederick Allery; National Archives of Australia: 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; B883, Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947; NX2651, "ALLERY FREDERICK : Service Number - NX2651 : Date of birth - 26 Sep 1911 : Place of birth - CROYDON ENGLAND : Place of enlistment - MILLER'S POINT NSW : Next of Kin - ALLERY GWENDOLINE", 1939-1948.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian War Memorial
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Australian War Memorial honours and awards (recommendation): Military Medal; accessed 26 Oct 2020
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Military Medal; accessed 26 Oct 2020
10. ↑ "Death Notice for Frederick Allery", Rootsweb, Ancestry.com; Database= Australian Records; published in The Sydney Morning Herald 15 Aug 1998; Frederick Allery, d. 13 Aug 1998, age 86.
11. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #129047794, "Frederick Allery", b. unknown; d. Aug 1998; note: ashes scattered; Woronora Cemetery and Crematorium, Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia, plot: Meth 1 33; created by 'A.Firefly ∞' on 2 May 2014. Accessed 17 Sep 2016.