WINTZLOFF Frederick

Frederick Wintzloff was born on 23rd February 1895 at Toowoomba to parents Charles August and Emma Hughes (nee Hunt). He was a single man who worked as a laborer and stood 5ft 7 inches tall, weighed 148Lbs with fresh complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. Fred enlisted at Brisbane on 19th October 1916 and went into 11th Depot Battalion camp at Enoggera for basic training where he was assigned to 15th Battalion. He sailed aboard H.M.A.T A55 ‘Kyarra’ from Brisbane on 17th November 1916 and disembarked at Plymouth on 30th January 1917. From the ship he entered 4th Training Brigade at Codford and while there was hospitalized for three weeks with Mumps.
It was on 29th May 1917 that Fred was posted overseas from England and on arrival entered camp at Havre and later on 21st June he joined the 15th Battalion at Neuve Eglise. From May until September the Bn. made its way through to Steenworrde area and bivouac was at Belgian Chateau. On 26th September the battalion had captured and maintained a hold on a pill box position and while gaining control Fred was wounded in action. He sustained gunshot wounds to his left arm and his right eye and was evacuated to the 83rd General Hospital at Boulogne followed by the hospital ship ‘St Denis’ to England. Following his recovery which took several months he was attached to 2nd Australian Army Headquarters at Southall for duty and remained there during 1917, 1918 and into 1919.
On 12th May 1919 he took a non-military exemption to attend the Motor Training Institute for Motor Engineer training at 10 Heddon Street, Regent, S.W London. During this time he married Ida Youil at Church of Christ Church, Moss Side, Manchester on 31st May. Ida was 18 years of age and Fred was 23. Following training he returned to 2nd A.A.H and went into No. 2 Group barracks throughout August and September whilst waiting on a family ship for his return to Australia with his new wife. The couple embarked aboard H.M.A.T A32 ‘Themistocles’ just days before Christmas 1919 and arrived in Australia on 9th February 1920. Fred was discharged on 28th March 1920 in Brisbane and he resumed his civilian life. In 1925 Fred and Ida lived at Coolum Creek Yandina where Fred was a farmer. In 1944 the couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at which time they were living at Mooloolah and a short family notice appeared in Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser on 26th May 1944, p2. Fred died on 7th June 1974 in Nambour and is buried at Nambour Cemetery. In 1980 Ida was living at Landsborough. The Chronicle 25 August 1916 pg 5, reports that Mr F Wintzloff of Coolum has enlisted and a concert and dance at the Maroochy River School of Arts was organised in his honour but cancelled due to persistent rains and as Mr Wintzloff is leaving at once no further arrangements can be made.

Maroochy Shire Honor Roll, Shire Chambers, Bury Street, Nambour

Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honor Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour (this scroll was available for sale to the public after the war)

National Australian Archives
Australian War Memorial
Ancestry.com.au
Trove.nla.gov.au