BOYS, Frederick George

Frederick’s birth to Ebenezer and Rachel Boys was registered in Sydney in 1894.  He enlisted at Inverell in November 1915, giving his age as twenty two and occupation as Labourer.  With three other local men he was farewelled at the Railway Station on his way to join the 33rd Battalion, C Company.

Frederick left Australia on the ship HMAT A74 Marathon in May 1916, and arrived in England in July.  After further training at Salisbury Plain, he was sent to France in November 1916. He was gassed in April 1918 and returned to England for treatment. Three months later he rejoined his unit in France and then suffered a bout of influenza.

Frederick returned to Australia in May 1919 and was medically discharged in August. By 1925 he was working as a Labourer at Yelarbon, Queensland where he died in 1981. A brother, William, served with the 18th Battalion and returned to Australia in February 1917.

Frederick’s name is recorded on the Inverell Honor Roll and Cenotaph.  In 1919 he was one of the men for whom a memorial tree was planted in Kurrajong Parade, Inverell.