Frederick Charles Mundeleine

MUNDELEIN, Frederick Charles- – – SPC 1910-1913

DoB:- – 1896, Bendigo

Father:- – Charles Mundelein

Mother:- – Victoria Agnes, nee Turnbull

Fred Mundelein was a boarder at St Patrick’s. The College Annual of 1916-1917 noted that:

-‘-¦ Corp F C Mundelein, who was a pupil of the College in 1911-13, on leaving the College joined the staff of the National Bank in Bendigo. He enlisted in 1915. His last letter was sent from France, where he states he had been engaged in some dreadful engagements. So far he has escaped being wounded, and has been much praised by his superior officers for his coolness and bravery. Fred has just completed his 20th birthday -¦’

Service No:- 3429

Rank: – – Lance Sergeant

Unit:- – 7th Battalion

Fred Mundelein enlisted in the AIF on 15 July 1915 when he was just 19 years and two months old. He was five feet, ten and a half inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He was unmarried and worked as a bank clerk.

He embarked from Melbourne aboard the Nestor on 11 October 1915, arriving in Egypt some weeks later. Not long after disembarking, he was admitted to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital at Heliopolis suffering from diarrhoea. Five days later he was discharged, -‘owing to the pressure of room’.-

By early January 1916, he was well enough to be taken on strength at Tel-el-Kebir and on 20 March he embarked from Alexandria and proceeded to France. From Marseilles he joined the 7th Battalion on 21 April 1916. In August he was promoted to Corporal and Company Clerk, and in October further promoted to the rank of Lance Sergeant while in the field.

Lance Sergeant Mundelein remained in France for the next 18 months, apart from the occasional furlough to Paris or the UK. In August 1918, after attending XV Corps School, he rejoined his unit in the field. On 9 August 1918 Lance Sergeant Mundelein was killed in action in France.

Some eyewitness accounts reveal what happened:

– -‘-¦ I knew Sergeant Fred Mundelein, I saw his grave; he is buried in the same Grave as my Mate, Private J A Maher, HQ Signaller. It is on the open on the Ridge about 500 yards to the left of Rosieres Railway Station. I went up to tidy the Grave. Both names are on the temporary Crosses on the Grave -¦’

– -‘-¦ I knew him well. He was tall and very thin, about 24. About the 9th August we were at Rosieres and attacked in the afternoon. We had got our objective when Mundelein sprained his ankle and was ordered to go back to the D/Station. While on his way back he was hit by a bullet and killed right out. I saw his body lying where it was hit. It was buried at the Battn Cemetery, about -½ mile from Rosieres Ridge, and about -¾ mile from the village -¦’

– -‘-¦ On 9th August near Rosieres close to big clearing station. Was killed outright in our attack in the afternoon. Shot by sniper’s bullet, hit on head. I saw his body after. Our Battalion pioneers buried him but I have not seen his grave. Was a Sergeant and came from Bendigo -¦’

Lance Sergeant Frederick Charles Mundelein was buried at the Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, France. He was 22 years old.