SCOTT, Frederick Eaden Selwyn (1894-1982)
Frederick Eaden Selwyn Scott sometimes known as 'Bill' or more usually 'Selwyn' was born at Geelong on 14 March 1894, the son of Andrew Scott and Elizabeth Eaden nee Coote, of Yuulong, Scotsburn. Of the three Scott brothers, the eldest, Kelburn, went to Geelong Grammar School, the second, Selwyn, to Geelong College from 1905 to 1911, and the youngest, Maberly, to Scotch College.
Selwyn was a member of the Light Horse before the World War I, and enlisted (No. 6415) on 12 July 1915 in the AIF, embarked for Egypt on
HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 18 November 1915. Served Egypt, embarking from Alexandria for the BEF on 14 March 1916, and France, where he was with the 10th Battery, 4th Field Artillery Brigade at Armentieres, Bullecourt, Messines and Passchendaele.
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Frederick E S Scott (C Burnham)
He wrote in his diary on 4 October 1916:
'The pits are all right as pits go. They are situated under a line of tall poplars but with exception of the gun pit itself the remainder of the dugouts attached are not too clever, those being but little room, the result being that half the detachment had to find flea bag positions elsewhere. I had to sleep on the table in daub dugout. About 5 minutes after finding our way into the flea bag for the first time we found as a rather unpleasant surprise that had only a share of the dugout the rats that were in millions seemed to reckon that they had a prior claim. They tried to impress this on us by doing a step dance over us all night showing great preference for our heads. In spite of all we managed to get a fair night in but imagine our disgust when on waking next morning we found that these - had dined well on our jackets, mine was minus one pocket & half the sleeve.' He wrote again on 10 October 1916 of his service as a Forward Observer:
'As NCOs had to take a turn up at OP in the first line trenches I made my first acquaintance with trench life. But although we were only up from 7 am till 5 pm I was more than satisfied especially after the second trip. One in order to get to the trenches has to pass through Maple Copse & Sanctuary Wood, both of which were the scene of some terrible fighting & terrible losses of the Canadians. In Sanctuary Wood the artillery gunmen were bayoneted at their guns. Now these places are but a mass of broken dead trees through which are scattered old battered gun pits & pieces of guns & every clear piece of ground adjoining a mass of crosses, one shell hole in particular contains 22 of the wooden military honours. Passing through there one enters the communication trench which even though the only trench at all decent does not remain long so as soon as they start to fix it up Fritz blows it in then before one realizes it one is in the front line & on looking over the top one sees Hill 60 on the right. This hill to look at looks much like a large rabbit warren or a heap of fresh earth traversed in all directions by long ridges of dirt denoting the trenches. Fritz is entrenched in a wood on the side of a hill but look as you like you see nothing but lines of trenches. It was not long before Fritz’s pet trench nuisance was brought under my notice. This is practically an oil drum filled with high explosive & is fired out of a trench mortar. When the mortar is heard (it is a little louder than a rifle report) there is a shuffle in our trenches & many eyes anxiously scanning the sky for they are easily seen looking like a jam tin rolling through the air. Then down she comes & then a terrible crash & one thanks God that he was not near that spot. When one has spent ten hours on a cold bombing step & has had a number of these minenwerfers & rum jars thrown in his direction one is not sorry when 5 pm comes & he can go home. Bad as these things are they cannot compare with our 60 pdrs or 190 pd. bombs. Hell what a mess when they land it seems as if the whole of Fritz’s trench is going into the air.' He was slightly wounded in the eyes on 2 November 1916 at Flers, in the same incident in which Gunner N H Cathcart was mortally wounded, and as a result Scott was away from the Battery until 23 December.
On his return his diary entry for 28 December 1916 read:
'This was as all other days, first the GS (General Service Waggon) goes out, it is in itself a sight, and as the six horses pull it through the mud, first the off leader then one of the centres then the wheelers go down to the withers in mud, but gamely struggle through. We spend the day shovelling mud from the horse lines and yet next morning there seems just as much if not more. I hear that Fritz put a large one into the officers’ mess and besides demolishing all the breakfast blew all Bob’s new kit to pieces, luckily no one was there.' He had leave to Paris in January 1918, and England in March 1918. Returned to Australia on
HMT Ceramic, embarking on 25 January 1919. He arrived in Melbourne, then spent time at the Portsea Quarantine Station due to influenza cases on the Ceramic.
His mother wrote to him on 13 March 1919:
'We hoped to have had you with us before this, & I have been waiting with Helen in Geelong ready to meet you. Last Sunday afternoon we motored to Queenscliff hoping to see the Ceramic coming through the Heads, & alas when we got the papers next morning, we found she had to go to Hobart first. In today’s Argus we see she was expected at Portsea through the night, or rather early this morning with mild cases of influenza on board. We are longing to know how long you will be quarantined. If you only knew how we long & long for the day, we were certain of having you for your birthday, & now it will come & you not with us, which is a terrible disappointment, still we are truly thankful you are so near, & many many happy returns with great happiness in store for you. I hope you & Jack are not amongst those with influenza, I have just sent you a wire asking you to telephone us here or send us a wire. Kelburn got 50 pts more rain & immediately set off for home. He got to Melbourne last night, where we all expected to be in readiness to meet you. He is now going to Yuulong by the midday train to join Dora & the children who are there, & Helen & I will see him as he passes through Geelong. I would go with him, only don’t like to until I hear how long you are to be at Portsea. Bob Salmon got to Geelong on Tuesday evening & we went to see him. He looks splendid, & quite fat. Oh the joy of them all at getting him home. Of course we didn’t stay long as they were all very tired. Mrs Salmon is very well & so excited, it is a good thing for hear to have a rest before meeting Jack. I only hope Kelburn will not have to have to return to NSW before seeing you. It is so difficult for him to be away just now especially as it is so dry. George went out fishing last night with Mr Jack Evans, & got two beautiful schnapper, they are going out again tonight. Directly we hear for certain when you will arrive in Melbourne, Rob & Lorna with Father are driving down in the car. I only hope this perfect weather lasts, you will be thankful to be off the boat, even though in quarantine, & get a sea bath, & on terra firma again, after such a voyage, you must have been packed like herrings. Harold & Ev are both to be down to meet you. Am sending a bundle of papers, & will also send the dailies while you are at Portsea, as you must long for news.' Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp 305-307 (citing Alexander Henderson, Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverina.(1936); Scott Family Papers; National Archives).