Frantz Albert Docking

FRANTZ ALBERT DOCKING (FRANZ)

RANK: Private

SERVICE NO.: 6236

UNITS SERVED: 10th Battalion

Personal Details: From a farming family on a property in Victoria near Rosy Pine, not far from Pinnaroo in South Australia. He was the 9th of 14 children born to James and Marie Docking.
Enlistment Details: Frantz enlisted on te 1st of May 1916. He enlisted in Kadina on his 26th birthday. When Franz enlisted he was accompanied by his younger brother Claude Docking. They enlisted on the same day consequently the brothers had consecutive service numbers.

Details about his role in War: Frantz departed Adelaide, Australia on HMAT Anchises on the 28th of August 1916. On the 11th of October they arrived in Plymouth, England where they stayed until the 17th of December when they finally proceeded to France on S.S ‘Golden Eagle’. When arriving in France on the 29th of December he was then marched to meet the 10th battalion. On the 5th of January 1917 they had reached his battalion and were taken on strength by the 10th battalion. During most of February Frantz was admitted in and out of hospital due to sickness, until his health finally improved so he rejoined the battalion on the 6th of March. On the 6th of May 1917, during the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt, Frantz was killed in action by a shell, he was killed on impact along with his younger brother Claude Docking. As reported in the Border times from an extract of a soldiers letter it was said that the brothers were always together and at the time of the brothers death they lay side by side. As the shell hit they were both killed instantaneously along with another boy from Pinnaroo.

Age at Death: 6th of May 1917

Age: 27

Cemetery or Memorial Details: Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

Interesting Material: The brothers enlisted the same day, had consecutive service numbers and were killed by the same shell.