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Birks, Frederick

As his military medals would attest, Frederick Birks was no ordinary young man. Cut down in his prime, in WW1, at just 22 years of age. Because his next of kin were living in England, where he was born, his Australian connections were totally in the dark as to his fate. His landlady Mrs. E Cornelius of 18 King Street Norwood, and his young lady, Miss Susan Gelven of “Whitburne” Military Road Largs Bay, wrote to the Military, in an attempt to find out why all contact had ceased in 1917.1

Birks Letter

Letter Birks

Birks, F B2455 National Archives of Australia http://www.naa.gov.au/

To add to their concern, it appears from the dates of the letters, they waited six months for a reply. One can only imagine the anguish they endured. Of course they were not noted as next of kin, who would have been notified first. His last known address, prior to enlistment, was King Street, Norwood. This would have led to the authorities replying to a request for information, from a non family member.2

Frederick Birks was born on August 16th 1894 at Buckley, Flintshire, North Wales. He was the youngest of six siblings. His father Samuel Birks was killed in a coal mining accident, when Frederick was in his primary years at school. Educated at the local Anglican parish school, St. Matthew’s, young Frederick showed some of the traits which would later stand him in good stead. He was awarded a medal for 11 years of not being late, or missing a day from school. He was active in sport, in boxing and playing soccer, also he played drums in the Boy’s Brigade Band. One school mate recalls the day they called into the local pub, and ordered a round of beers. The landlord served them a round of lemonades. Frederick poured the lemonade over the landlord, and ran out, to the resounding laughter from all present.3 After leaving school he worked in the nearby steelworks at Shotton.

In 1913 Frederick decided to immigrate to Australia. He sailed, with two of his mates from Buckley, in the steamer S.S. Otway. They arrived in Melbourne. Later Frederick moved to Tasmania and then on to South Australia. In Tasmania he stayed with Herbert Jones, a friend of his brother. In South Australia he stayed in Largs Bay for a while, and then in the home of Mrs. E Cornelius of Norwood. He met a young lady from Largs Bay, Susan Gelven, who was sixteen years of age.4

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Frederick Birks offered his services to his adopted country. He enlisted on August 18th and was posted to 2nd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps. In October of the same year he sailed for Egypt. On April 25th 1915 his unit went into action at Gallipoli. He obtained a shrapnel wound whilst serving as a stretcher-bearer on June 26th. After treatment he returned to his unit and remained at Anzac until September. The unit was evacuated to Egypt in October 1915. In March of the following year, his unit left for the Western Front. Frederick was promoted to Lance Corporal and carried on as a stretcher-bearer at the first battle of the Somme. At the battle of Poziéres in July, he was awarded the Military Medal by General Birdwood, for constant good service. In August 1916, newly promoted Corporal Birks was selected for officer training. In May 1917, now commissioned, Second Lieutenant Birks was attached to the 6th Battalion Infantry. 5

Frederick Birks

Photograph of Private Frederick Birks

On September 30th at the third battle of Ypres, his battalion was advancing on Glencorse Wood. An enemy pillbox was stopping any further advance. Second Lieutenant Birks and a Corporal rushed the pillbox. The Corporal was wounded, but Second Lieutenant Birks continued on alone. He killed those manning the pillbox, and captured the machine gun. Not long after capturing the machine gun, he organised a small party to attack another enemy strong point. Sixteen enemy soldiers were captured and nine others killed or wounded. Many soldiers from other units were in total disarray, caused by the effects of this enemy strong point. Second Lieutenant Birks gathered them together, and reorganised them into fighting units once more. The very next day, an artillery bombardment buried some of his men. He was helping to dig them out, when he himself was killed. It was for these acts of “conspicuous bravery” that he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Second Lieutenant Birks was buried at the Zillebeke cemetery Belgium. His portrait and medals are on display at the Australian War Memorial Canberra. 6

Researched and compiled by Jim Nelson, a volunteer with the Campbelltown Library “Digital Diggers” group.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact the Local History officer on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au

References

  1. National Archives of Australia. (2018). Birks, F B2455. [online] Available at: http://www.naa.gov.au/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].
  2. National Archives of Australia. (2018). Birks, F B2455. [online] Available at: http://www.naa.gov.au/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].
  3. Lives of the first world war. (2018). Frederick Birks VC - WW1 Memorial and Life Story. [online] Available at: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/7303136 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].
  4. Wikipedia. (2018). Frederick Birks. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Birks [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].
  5. L. Ward, 'Birks, Frederick (1894–1917)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/birks-frederick-5242/text8829, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 1 November 2018.
  6. L. Ward, 'Birks, Frederick (1894–1917)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/birks-frederick-5242/text8829, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 1 November 2018.

Images

Letters - National Archives of Australia. (2018). Birks, F B2455. [online] Available at: http://www.naa.gov.au/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018]

Photo - Virtual War Memorial Australia. (2018). Frederick BIRKS VC, MM. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/308908 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].