DARDEL, Frank Roy (1899-1984)Frank Roy Dardel was born on the 14 June 1899 at Geelong, the son of James Henry Dardel and Helen nee Thompson, of Chaumont, Batesford. He attended Geelong College as a day student entering on 14 February 1913 and finishing in December 1913. He was recorded as earlier having attended Batesford State School.
He enlisted (No 38484) as a Private in the AIF on 13 April 1917, and embarked with the 12th Field Artillery Brigade, 32nd Reinforcement Group for Egypt on
SS Indarra on 26 November 1917, then from Alexandria on
MT Abbassieh to Taranto on 29 January 1918. He served through the final campaigns of the Great War with 112 Howitzer Battery in France. In mid-March 1919, he took leave to England where he met up with his brothers, James and Eric, neither of whom he had seen for some years. He returned to Australia on
HMT City of Exeter, embarking on 12 July 1919.
He died in 1984.
His brother, Lt
Aurel Louis Dardel (1893-1917), who also attended College, died on 8 May 1917, of wounds suffered the day before at Noreuil, and is buried at Grevillers British Cemetery. The oldest brother,
James Henry Dardel (1888-1941), who also attended College, died in Melbourne during World War II while serving with the RAN. Frank's other two brothers, Alfred Eugene Dardel (1890-1939), and
Eric Walter Dardel (1897-1954)were also educated at College.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from 'Geelong Collegians at the Great War' compiled by James Affleck p164 (citing Pegasus; National Archives).