Fred
was born in Belfast, Northern
Ireland on October 18th, 1917. He served from January 1935
in the Dorsetshire Regiment and then transferred in 1937 to the
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
In 1936 and
1937 he was in Palestine and Egypt before his regiment returned to
the United Kingdom.
When war
broke out he was sent with the BEF to France, where he fought
untol evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940.
After a
period in Northern Ireland and England, the Regiment was sent
overseas. They were involved during transit, in a small operation
at Madagascar, before arriving in India. After subsequent action
in Iraq, he was transferred to North Africa; he then took part in
the invasion of Sicily, where he was slightly wounded and
evacuated to North Africa. He then took part in the invasion of
Italy.
He finished
the war in Austria as a member of British Troops Austria.
He was
finally discharged in November 1948 having completed thirteen
years of very active service in many vital theatres of war.
He is
currently the President of the Victorian Branch of the Dunkirk
Veterans Association.
