PROMOTING THE HISTORY AND ARCHIVES OF MT COMPASS
Dingle, Frederick
Frederick William Olney Dingle (Private)
Olney as he was known, was born at Norwood on 23rd September 1896. He may never have known his mother or father, as he became a ward of the state, being released into the care of a foster mother, Melvina Wills, at the age of just 5 weeks. The name of Olney’s father does not appear on the birth register, only his mother, Lydia Dingle.
Melvina received a subsidy to care for Olney, but only up to 13 years of age. Presumably after this he was old enough for paid work, although he was ‘sentenced’ to be a ward of the state until he was eighteen years of age.
Members of the extended Wills family raised at least three other wards of the state, Cliff McKinnon, Frederick Twort, and Gwen Hailstone.
Olney enlisted on 23rd March 1916 at the age of 19. His service record shows he was an unmarried farmer, who was 6 foot 1 inch (1.84m) in height, weighing 74.8 kilograms and with “a fresh complexion, grey eyes & brown hair”. His religion was recorded as Methodist.
When enlisting, he formally declared that he did not want to prepare a will and, as he was by then 19 years of age, Melvina was simply listed by him as a ‘friend’ under the next of kin section, rather than as a foster mother.
Private Olney Dingle left to serve in France and Belgium via Egypt on 4th May 1916, serving with the 8th Australian Machine Gun Company. It is reported that he was one of only eight men who were selected from 300, for this particular company.
Olney sustained wounds from action in the field (a compound skull fracture from gunshot) on 11th October 1917 and died at the 11th Casualty Clearing Station, aged 21 years. He is buried at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, France.
In a 1918 letter to the “Australian Christian Commonwealth” paper, outlining Olney’s life, Ray Stone of Nangkita described him as “highly respected by all who knew him”.
Prior to receiving Olney’s war medals, Melvina was compelled to sign a declaration that if a closer relative was to be found at some later date, she would agree to return them. No other relative did come forward.
His foster mother, Melvina Wills, died in Strathalbyn on the 15th October 1956, aged 83, and is buried in an unmarked grave.
Private Olney Dingle is listed on the Mt Compass-Nangkita Honour Roll.
References: National Archives of Australia Service Records, “A Guide Behind The Lines” by Richard Kleinig, trove.nla.gov.au & Mt Compass Archive records.
