The AIF Project

War service: Western Front

Embarked Adelaide, 9 June 1916.

Found guilty, 28 June 1916, of an unstated crime: awarded 96 hours' detention.

Admitted to Ship's Hospital, 28 June 1916; discharged, 7 July 1916.

Disembarked Marseilles, France, 20 July 1916.

Found guilty, Larkhill, 12 August 1916, of an unstated crime: awarded 3 days' confined to barracks.

Taken on strength of 8th Training Bn, Larkhill, from 43rd Bn, 9 September 1916.

Admitted to Bulford Hospital, Codford, 30 September 1916 (venereal disease); discharged and marched into 8th Training Bn, 9 December 1916; total period of treatment for venereal disease, 68 days.

Proceeded overseas to France, 30 December 1916; marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 31 December 1916.

Marched out to unit, 6 February 1917; taken on strength of 32nd Bn, in the field, 7 February 1917.

Admitted to 5th Divisional Rest Station, 18 February 1917 (injury to back and venereal disease, gonorrhoea); transferred to No 15 Australian Field Ambulance, 18 February 1917; to No 1 South Midland Casualty Clearing Station, 27 February 1917; to No 51 General Hospital, Etaples, 3 March 1917; discharged and marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 23 March 1917; total period of treatment for venereal disease, 34 days.

Marched out to unit, 28 March 1917; rejoined 32nd Bn, 30 March 1917.

Admitted No 1 Australian Field Ambulance, 3 May 1917 (epididymitis); transferred to 5th Divisional Rest Station, 4 May 1917; to No 4 Ambulance Train from No 9 Casualty Clearing Station, 6 May 1917 (venereal disease, gonorrhoea); to No 51 General Hospital, 7 May 1917; discharged and marched into Base Depot, Etaples, 7 May 1917; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 12 days; marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 22 May 1917.

Found guilty, 28 July 1917, of being absent from 2130 hours, 26 May 1917, until being apprehended by Military Police at 2230 hours, 26 May 1917: award, forfeits 7 days' pay.

Marched out to unit, 7 June 1917; rejoined 32nd Bn, 10 June 1917.

Admitted to No 8 Australian Field Ambulance, 15 July 1917 (orchitis), then transferred to 5th Divisional Rest Station the same day; to No 56 Casualty Clearing Station, 18 July 1917; to Ambulance Train, 22 July 1917; to No 1 General Hospital, Etretat, 23 July 1917; to No 4 Convalescent Depot, 16 August 1917; marched in 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, 14 September 1917.

Found guilty, 4 November 1917, of being, while on active service, (1) out of camp without a pass; (2) giving a wrong name and number to a Police Corporal on duty: award, forfeits 5 days' pay.

Marched out to unit, 4 November 1917; rejoined 32nd Bn, 7 November 1917.

Admitted to No 15 Australian Field Ambulance, 12 November 1917 (varicocele); discharged to duty, 15 November 1917; rejoined 32nd Bn, 28 November 1917.

Posted absent without leave, 3 December 1917; arrested, 28 December 1917.

Found guilty by Field General Courts Martial, 2 March 1918, of absenting himself without leave from 2 December 1917, until 28 December 1917 and found not guilty of deserting His Majesty's Service: sentenced to 42 days' Field Punishment No 2 (sentence confirmed on 4 March 1918) and a total forfeiture of 132 days' pay; total period awaiting trial, 63 days.

Posted absent without leave, 15 March 1918; apprehended, 28 April 1918.

Found guilty by Field General Courts Martial, 22 May 1918, of being absent without leave from 15 March 1918, until 14 April 1918, and found not guilty of deserting His Majesty's Service: sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour (confirmed and promulgated, 24 May 1918) and total forfeiture of 37 days' pay.

Committed to prison, 18 June 1918; entered No 4 Military Prison, France, 23 June 1918.

Released and entrained for 32nd Bn, 18 October 1918, remainder of sentence suspended from date of release; rejoined 32nd Bn, 4 November 1918.

Posted absent without leave, 4 November 1918, and returned the same day.

Posted absent without leave, 11 December 1918.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 15 February 1919, declares Private Fitzgerald an illegal absentee from 11 December 1918 and that he is still absent.

Marched into Le Havre from Amiens, 16 July 1919; transferred to London under escort, 22 July 1919; detained at Warwick Square, London, 23 July 1919.

Found guilt by District Courts Martial, Warwick Square, London, 7 August 1919, of while on active service, absenting himself without leave in that he on 11 December 1918, absented himself without leave and remained so absent until apprehended by the Military Authorities in Viller Brettoneuz on 12 July 1919: sentence to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour (confirmed, 8 August 1918 and promulgated, 10 August 1918).

Commenced return to Australia on board Port Denison, 25 September 1919 (unexpired portion of sentence remitted on embarkation for Australia); posted as absent without leave, Port Adelaide, 10 November 1919, after failure to re-embark; discharged Melbourne, 6 December 1919.