OCKENDEN, Frederick James

This paper was written by and supplied courtesy of Graeme Fry (contacts held by the museum)

His Police records are brief and essentially only record Frederick joining then leaving the South Australian Police Force. He was born at Mount Pleasant, South Australia in 1876. He joined the South Australian Police in 1897. He is believed to have served at Illamurta during 1900. He is thought to have left the Force in 1900. There is no record of his employment between the Northern Territory and his enlistment. into the Seventh Reinforcements of the Forty Third (South Australian) Battalion as No. 3106 on Australia day 1917. On his attestation papers he answered the question, have you ever been rejected as unfit for His Majesties Service? To which he answered “Yes Heart.” Forty one year old Frederick was duly passed as fit for overseas service. He embarked for France on HMAT A30, ‘The Adelaide’ from Port Adelaide on 23 June 1917. He disembarked at Plymouth, England, on the 25th August 1917. He was taken on the strength of the Forty Third Battalion on 19th February 1918. He was admitted to hospital with Hepatitis on 6th May 1918. He was transferred from France to an English hospital where he was declared unfit for active service and was returned to Australia on the 25th September 1918. He was discharged on 1st February 1919.