The AIF Project

Francis Joseph PLATT

Date of birth29 April 1881
Place of birthEngland
SchoolKent College, England
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationCivil servant
AddressWynola, Hippwood Road, Hamilton, Brisbane, Queensland
Marital statusMarried
Age at embarkation33
Height5' 9.5"
Weight150 lbs
Next of kinWife, Mrs F M Platt, Wynola Hippwood Road, Hamilton, Brisbane, Queensland
Previous military serviceServed for 5 years in Volunteers, England, and in South Africa (Boer War), 190102, with the Essex Regiment.
Enlistment date12 October 1914
Place of enlistmentBrisbane, Queensland
Rank on enlistmentLieutenant
Unit name15th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/32/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A35 Berrima on 22 December 1914
Rank from Nominal RollLieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll15th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 8 August 1915
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 43), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
77
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: William and Sarah PLATT; Wife: Frances Maguire PLATT, 'Wynola', Hepwood Road, Hamilton, Brisbane. Native of Eastbourne, England
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Appointed Lt as from 25 March 1915.

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 12 April 1915.

Reported missing, 8 August 1915.

Court of Enquiry, Serapeum, 6-8-28 April 1916, concluded 'Killed in action', 8 August 1915.'

Statement, Captain H.C. HORN, 47th Bn (formerly C Company, 15th Bn), 24 March 1916: 'Platt and Lieut. Matthews were two Englishmen who enlisted as privates, but passed the examination for officers at the same time (at Enoggera). Lieut. Matthews was appointed transport officer for the 15th Battalion, and held this appointment until he went to hospital at the end of February, 1915. The position of transport officer was then taken by Lieut. Platt and held by him until June, 1915. Lieut. Platt then left for Gallipoli and joined D Company as a subaltern. He moved out in charge of D Company, on 7/8/15 on to the Abdul Rahman Bair Ridge and this was the last that was seen of him ...'

Second statement, 1617 Pte James McDONALD, D Company, 15th Bn (patient, St John's Hospital, Etaples), 11 August 1916: 'I was Mr Platt's servant and he was ill from influenza at the time of the charge. I remember that on the 6th. he could eat nothing and could only sip Bovril. Capt. Luther, the doctor, tried to get him off the peninsula but he would not leave. On the 8th. or 9th. we were in the charge and Lt. Yowdan asked me to look after Mr. Platt. I did this as long as I could but we were separated. He did not return and I made all the enquiries I could. I was told by Pte. Young (I am not sure about the name) that he had seen Mr. Platt limping towards the beach with a wound in his ankle. I followed up that story but found no consideration of it.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, PLATT Francis Joseph
Red Cross File No 2170207J

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