Remembering Frederick Weiss
The Erina District Memorial Honour Roll Tablet is inscribed with the names of ten local men who lost their lives in the Great War, including Frederick and Erle Weiss and also the message:
“Because they died, that others might not die, comfort your hearts. Mourn Them Not They Died Greatly."
The Erina District Memorial bears the names of both Fred and Erle Weisse who were killed in action. It was later relocated and is now incorporated into a redeveloped Terrigal Foreshore War Memorial. Fred is also commemorated on:
- V. C. Corner (panel no. 9) Australian Memorial Cemetery
- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour (panel no. 158)
- Methodist Church of Australasia Singleton Circuit First World War Roll of Honour
- Gosford Cenotaph
- NSW Public School Teachers Great War Honour Roll
- NSW Public School Teachers Who Served Abroad, Great War Honour Roll
- Hereford House Reunion Club, First World War Honour Roll
In addition to following up assiduously about his sons’ personal effects and working towards the local war memorial, Walter wrote to authorities in 1921 with additional details in the hope that Fred’s final burial place might be located.
The first letter provides the background and the second is evidence provided by Driver Frederick C. Vicary at Walter’s request. Fred Vicary (from Ariah Park, south of West Wyalong) and Fred Weiss were part of a group of 26 young men from the West Wyalong region who all enlisted together. Vicary’s evidence reads:
3578A Pte F. A. Weiss 53rd Battalion was found Missing after Fleurbaix stunt July the 19th 1916. I called at his Batt Headquarters and all the information I could get was Pte Dickson told me he saw him fall with a bullet wound in the head, this happened between the hop over and the German’s Support Trenches. After the stunt I made inquiries from any 53rd man I saw all in vain. My opinion is he was blown up by shell fire. Yrs truly, F C Weiss, Meadowbank, Ariah Park.
Fred Vicary returned to Australia and, on 18 June 1921, married Amy Weiss, one of Fred’s younger sisters.
Still looking for identification
Presumed buried at Pheasant Wood by the Germans, Fred is part of the Fromelles project to seek DNA from relatives to identify the soldiers exhumed from the mass grave. In 2014, DNA was collected from both male and female lines, while this increases his chance of being identified, an identification has yet to be made.