COUNTING THE COST
Oswald Fraser Ick - 32nd Battalion
Born in Melbourne in 1887, Oswald Fraser Ick was one of five children born to Reverend Doctor Thomas Edwin and Gertrude Ick.
The family relocated to Western Australia in the early 1900s and it was in Perth on July 13, 1915 , that Oswald enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force having already seen service with the junior school cadets while living Melbourne .
Assigned to the 32nd battalion, he left Fremantle on the 18th of November 1915 onboard the transport ship Geelong , arriving at Suez in mid December of the same year. While in camp in the Middle East he was punished for going absent without leave and had his pay docked.
In April 1916 he was promoted to Corporal, a position he clearly excelled at as he was quickly promoted again, this time to Lance Sergeant. The battalion left Egypt for France in June, travelling onboard the Transylvania , arriving in Marseilles and taking a train to northern France . From there they proceeded to billets at Estaires before taking part in actions around Armentieres in early July.
On the 19th of July Ick along with the rest of the 32nd battalion took part in the battle of Fromelles where he was wounded in the left shoulder, a wound that saw him evacuated to a hospital in France before being sent to a hospital in England onboard the Cambria .
After his recovery he took the opportunity to undertake more training in England, returning to France in mid 1917 and rejoining his unit in August of that year, subsequently seeing action at Polygon Wood, after which he was promoted to Sergeant.
In late 1917 the battalion was involved in a nasty train accident at Desvres, following which they had a period of rest into early 1918, returning to Messines in February. In March, Ick was promoted to Company Sergeant Major before proceeding to Villers-Bretonneux where he was wounded again with a gunshot wound in the left thigh and head.
Ick was evacuated to hospital in England , only to return to France in late 1918, just before they left the front and returned to Australia onboard the Karagola. Ick arrived in early June 1919 and was discharged in July of that year.
Oswald passed away in 1946 and his cremated remains were scattered over the rose garden at Karrakatta Cemetery in Western Australia.
Research notes:
1) Oswald Ick's brother, 24 year old draftsman, Thomas Clifton Ick enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in April 1916, joining the 51st battalion and seeing action at Messines, Polygon Wood and Ypres before falling ill in early 1918. He died of pneumonia on January 23, 1918 . Thomas Ick's passing is mentioned by Neville Browning in his book For King and Cobbers: A History of the 51st battalion .
2) Besides Thomas, Oswald's other siblings included three sisters; Helen, Harcourt and Constance.
3) Oswald Ick (who was known as Ossie) married Effie Allpike in 1912. They had one son, Ronald John Ick.
4) Two of Effie's brothers Bertie and Henry James Allpike saw service in WW1.Bertie being wounded in the landings at Gallipoli.
5) Ronald John Ick saw service during WW2 with the Royal Australian Navy
6) Effie passed away in 1948 and her remains were also scattered over the rose garden with her husband's. Ronald passed in 2001 and is buried with his grandparents in Karrakatta Cemetery .
7) Oswald Ick is featured in three photographs in R.R Freeman's book Second To None: A Memorial History of the 32nd Battalion AIF 1915-1919 as well as in AWM photo ?????.
Photos:
1) Photo of Ick and unknown man (Ick is on the left)
2) 3 photos of Ick walking in city.
3) Thomas Ick's grave, photo by Robert Pike.