Frederick McCABE

Regimental number7075
Place of birthSofala, New South Wales
SchoolRosehill Superior Public School, New South Wales
Other trainingSydney Technical College, New South Wales
ReligionMethodist
OccupationClerk
AddressHudson Street, Granville, Sydney, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation18
Height5' 5.25"
Weight139 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs E M McCabe, Hudson Street, Granville, Sydney, New South Wales
Previous military serviceServed in 20th Infantry Bn, Senior Cadets; still serving at time of AIF enlistment.
Enlistment date7 August 1916
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll7 August 1916
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name2nd Battalion, 23rd Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/19/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A24 Benalla on 9 November 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll2nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 22 September 1917
Age at death from cemetery records19
Place of burialButtes New British Cemetery (Plot XXIV, Row D, Grave No. 9), Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
33
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: James and Emily McCABE, Hudson Street, Granville, New South Wales
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked sydney, 9 November 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 9 January 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 25 April 1917; taken on strength, 2nd Bn, in the field, 11 May 1917.

Killed in action, Belgium, 22 September 1917.

Note, Red Cross File No 1880708W: 'No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.'

Statement, 7055 Pte J.T. WILLIAMSON, C Company, 2nd Bn (patient, 56th General Hospital, France), 19 November 1917: 'McCabe belonged to B Company. He was the only man of the name I knew. He was a small fellow. It was behind our lines near Hooge that he was killed on September 22nd. The Germans were sending over gas shells at the time and McCabe had his gas helmet on. A shell exploded near him and partially buried him. He was suffocated before he could be got out, the gas helmet being responsible for this I think. [7077] Pte McKay, B. Coy (whose No. is either one below or one above McCabe's) told me of this. He and McCabe were great pals.'

Second statement, 3697 Corporal E. BURT, 2nd Bn (patient, No 8 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne), 20 November 1917: 'The date [22 September 1917] but I forget the exact name of the place. He dug in too far, gas was coming over at the time and he put his gas helmet on. The shell fell and he was buried by the earth. When we dug him out he was dead, had been smothered. I buried him about 5 yards away from the trench where he was killed and put a rough cross up. I sent his full effects home to his mother whose address I forget but it was somewhere in N.S.W. He was about 5ft 5, fair, 19 years. This was his first time in the front line.'

Third statement, 6774 Pte F.J. KING, B Company, 2nd Bn (patient, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, England), 26 November 1917; 'I saw him killed at Ypres. He was buried by a shell that landed close to him. We dug him out but he was dead, having been evidentally [sic] been smothered as, in addition to being buried completely he had his gas helmet on. I knew him very well, he came from Granville N.S.W., and was the only man in the Coy. of that name. I saw his grave behind the trench at Ypres and it was marked with a cross bearing his number, name and unit.'

Fourth statement, 3535 Pte A.L. HANSFORD, stretcher bearer, 2nd Bn, 4 December 1917; 'He was in B. Co. He was small, short, and about 20 or 21 years of age. He was in a trench between Glencourse Wood and Polygon Wood, about 22nd September. The ground was very sandy, and we had tunnelled under it to get extra cover. It fell in and buried him. He had his gas helmet on, and was suffocated before we could get him out. I was a stretcher bearer, and they called for us to dig him out. He was breathing his last when we got him out, and died almost at once. He was not buried by our Company. We were relieved that night.'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, McCABE Frederick
Red Cross File No 1880708W