From Australia’s Jewish Past: Alan Philip Frankel – a World War I Veteran’s Journey
The last story before Pesach was written about Philip Louis Frankel.
Alan Frankel
This week, coinciding with the commemoration of Anzac Day, the story is about Philip and Minnie’s only son, Alan.
Alan was born on 3 July 1894 in Brisbane and attended Brisbane Boys Grammar, where in his senior years, he was a house and library prefect, a member of the First Fifteen for Rugby Union, and in the school cadets. He went on to study at the University of Queensland and graduated with degrees in science and engineering. He was working part-time in his father’s company – Philip Frankel and Co – when there was a call for men to join a newly formed Motor Cycle Despatch Riders Company for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which had been established in Egypt in 1916 and its members were used mainly as despatch riders, while also conducting reconnaissance and patrolling They were positioned mainly on the Western Front in France and Belgium.
On 7 March 1916 in Brisbane, at the age of twenty-one and seven months, Alan enlisted with the AIF with special friends from both his school and university days. Through being involved with senior cadets at school, Alan joined the 23rd Signals of the Engineering Battalion of the CMF based at Kelin Grove Barracks.
He wrote ‘‘It is with excitement and a sense of duty that I and my friends, as part of the 23rd Signals of the CMF, enlisted in the AIF’’. Until WWI began in 1914, Australia was the only English-speaking country with a compulsory military training system during a time of peace. In 1911, a law was passed that all boys aged 12 to 14 had to enrol in the junior cadets and those aged 18 to 26 in the CMF.
Alan’s mother had unfortunately passed away when he was fourteen and, his father was not pleased with his only son’s decision to join the forces as it was hoped that he would become part of the family business. However, at Alan’s farewell party, in his father’s speech, he admitted that he admired his son’s spirit for joining the forces and felt sure he would fulfil his duties. His words were ‘’Alan you have been a good son, and I trust you will make a good soldier.’’
For the remainder of March and into April 1916, Alan and other reinforcements were housed in temporary accommodation at Enoggera Barracks (also known as Gallipoli Barracks) and were provided with military training in preparation for overseas service. On 1 May 1916, Alan and several others boarded the ‘Clan McGillivray A46’, a Scottish steamer leased as a troop ship by the Commonwealth Government. Their first stop was Sydney, where more soldiers boarded, and the ship then made its way to Fremantle, taking on more soldiers, and provisions for the next stage of the journey to Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, for the ship’s arrival on 15 May. The steamer, rather a small vessel, could still carry 1013 soldiers and 17 officers. The next stop was Colombo, arriving on 28 May and, unfortunately, Alan, like many of the other soldiers, spent much of the travel time in the ship’s hospital suffering from either meningitis, influenza, or measles. One of Alan’s dear enlisted friends was so badly affected by his influenza, that he died before they reached Fremantle and was buried at sea. The next destination was Colombo and here they were allowed to go ashore. Once back on board, the next port was Egypt, and, after sailing through the Suez Canal, the ship arrived in Alexandria on 13 June, the voyage having taken forty-three days. As one can imagine, with so much distance between ports, there had been insufficient food on board from the very start of the journey for the number of men. They were served porridge on alternate days and plum pudding only on Sundays. The food was rationed with each soldier being allowed a quarter of a pint of tea or coffee for breakfast. Tinned fish was served on Fridays and there was no meat on any day. One option, however, was for the soldiers to be able to buy fish at the ship’s canteen for the evening meal.
Alan was sent to the Front Line southwest of Ypres in Belgium. In a letter to his family, he wrote that the noise was deafening with hostile planes flying low over the trenches and the enemy constantly shelling the area where his battalion, now the 52nd AIF was. My battalion is working together with the 4th and other Australian divisions, as part of the British forces to attack Becelaere and Broonseinde Ridge against the 4th German Army. This battle fought on 4 October 1917, was the most successful Allied attack of the Third Battle of Ypres. It is known that the Australians forged on through the German assault waves and gained all their objectives along the ridge. It was not without cost, and the Australian divisions suffered 6,500 casualties.
Alan went on to write that ‘’only two weeks ago I was in the safety of the UK on leave. It seems such a long time ago now.’’
The 52nd Battalion was raised at Tel el Kebir in Egypt on 1 March 1916 as part of the ‘doubling’ of the AIF. Half of its recruits were veterans from the 12th Battalion and the other half were fresh reinforcements from South Australia, West Australia, and Tasmania. The next reinforcements were from Queensland which meant that with casualties, the battalion was mostly Queenslanders by May 1918 and it became part of the 4th Australian Division. Following the battle at Ypres, the 4th Division was deployed to defend positions south of the River Ancre in France. At Dernancourt on 5 April, the 52nd Battalion assisted in the repulse of the largest German attack mounted against the Australian troops during the war with 154 killed, wounded, or captured, including ten officers. The German threat persisted through April and, on Anzac Day 1918, the 52nd Battalion participated in the attack to dislodge the Germans from Villers-Bretonneux. Following more losses, on 16 May 1918 the 52nd Battalion was disbanded. Between May 1918 and April 1919, it appears that Alan was in Belgium helping to rebuild destroyed farms and villages.
On 8 April 1919, Alan sailed from Havre, France, to Southampton, England, and on 12 May, sailed from Devonport, England, to Australia on the troopship ‘Por Napier,’ finally arriving on 4 July 1919 in Sydney. Following his discharge from the AIF, Alan returned to Brisbane and the family business. Part of the business dealt with motor accessories, and, in 1926, at a motor exhibition, the company produced an instructional leaflet on ‘’Traffic and Signals’’, which is now an exhibit in the Queensland Police Museum.
Alan’s father, having achieved the elevated post of President of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter, had the unique experience of installing his son, Alan as Worshipful Master (W.M.) of the General Gordon Lodge and investing him with the same apron with which he himself was invested.
Alan passed away on 21 May 1962 in Brisbane and is buried in the Toowong General Cemetery. His name, together with many other servicemen, is listed on the WW1 Roll of Honour Board at the University of Queensland, Brisbane Synagogue, and the New Farm Bowling Club.
The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:
Australian Dictionary of Biography – Lee English; Queensland Genealogical Society; Hebrew Standard of Australasia – 27 March 1925; Lee English Blog; Australian War Memorial; Motor Cycle Despatch Riders Company – Ross Mallet
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