Frederick’s occupation and marital status upon enlistment, was detailed as a Bank Manager, who was single.
- Date of Birth – 27 May 1889 in Araluen1NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Birth – 16512/1889 Parents Frederick J and Elizabeth. Registered in Braidwood, Accessed 5 July 2026.
- Parents – Frederick James Barnett and Caroline Elizabeth Hockey
- Enlisted – 5 May 1915, Sydney, New South Wales. Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board Transport A32 Themistocles on 12 May 1915.2University of NSW AIF project https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=14193, Accessed 5 July 2026.
- Regimental Number – CAPT3National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. NAA: B2455, Barnett F G, Item ID – 3051639, Accessed 5 July 2026 and Karen Nelson, Marching Home to Braidwood. Braidwood RSL. UPS, Ulladulla, NSW. 2016. p 15.
- Aged at embarkation – 264Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1630705 Accessed 5 July 2026.
- Military service – 17th Infantry Battalion, D Co., Rank – Captain5Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/307306, Accessed 5 July 2026.
- Frederick George Barnett was mentioned in dispatches on 3 November 1916 and again on 7 November 1917 for conspicuous services.
- Frederick was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 October 1915, appointed Adjutant on 1 November 1916 for the 17th Infantry Battalion, and appointed Captain while continuing to hold appointment of Adjutant on 18 December 1916.
- Serving in the Gallipoli evacuation, Belgium, and France, Frederick was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the large Oak Leaf.
- Killed in action on 2 August 1918 in France (aged 29 years)6Frederick George Barnett’s name is located at panel 82 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Campbell, Accessed 5 July 2026.
- Buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Département de la Somme, Picardie, France7Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56558420/frederick-george-barnett. Plot X. B. 8. Commonwealth War graves. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/575565/frederick-george-barnett/ Accessed 5 July 2026.
Frederick was the eldest son of Frederick James Barnett (1857-1932) and Caroline Elizabeth Hockey (1864-1943) who married in August 1888.8NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Marriage – 4018/1888 Frederick Barnett and Caroline E. Registered in West Macquarie. Accessed 5 July 2026. Frederick and Caroline had five children. Frederick’s father, Frederick James Barnett, was the Postmaster in Redbank, Araluen for seven years from 1888 until 1895.9National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. Araluen [Redbank] Post Office file [Box 14] NAA: Series SP32/1, ARALUEN Item – 433094 p 155. Accessed May 2024.
In May 1895 the Goulburn Evening Penny Post10Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881-1940), Tuesday 21 May 1895, p 4. reported ‘The Postmaster-General has approved of the following changes, viz.:-Mr. F. J. Barnett, post and telegraph master, Araluen, to be post and telegraph master, Mount Victoria; Mr. E. J. Collier, post and telegraph master, Major’s Creek, to be post and telegraph master, Araluen; and Mr. W. S. Berg, operator at Braidwood, to be post and telegraph master, Major’s Creek.’
The AIF relocated to Belgium for the Third Ypres Offensive in July 1917, and the 17th Battalion was heavily engaged at Menin Road (20-22 September 1917) and Poelcappelle (9-10 October 1917). After another winter of trench duty in Flanders, the 17th Battalion and the rest of the Division was sent south when the great German Spring Offensive broke across the Allied Front in late March 1918. The Unit War Diary for the 17th Battalion on 2 August 1918 notes, near Villers-Bretonneux on ‘2/8/18 [at] 10:50 am HQ Mess dugout hit by 4.2 shell killing Captain F.G. Barnett (Adjt)’11Australian War Memorial Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War – AWM4 Subclass 23/34 – 17th Infantry Battalion, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1356706 p 3 Accessed 6 July 2026.
In December 1918 the Sydney Mail12Sydney Mail (NSW: 1912-1938) Wednesday 4 December 1918 p 27. reported (with picture) ‘Capt. F. G. Barnett. Who was killed in France on August 2. He was a son of Mr. F. J. Barnett, postmaster at West Maitland, and was a native of Araluen, being 29 years of age. He left Sydney with the 17th Battalion in May 1915, and served in Gallipoli, Belgium, and France. Twice he was mentioned in despatches [sic], and for 12 months he had been adjutant to his battalion. Prior to enlisting he was manager of the Government Savings Bank at Corowa and had acted as relieving manager at Broken Hill (where he was stationed for two years), Newcastle, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, and other places. When he enlisted, he received special commendation from the directors of the bank for long and faithful service.’
In 1943 the Sydney Morning Herald13Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954), Saturday 3 April 1943, p 16. published a notice stating ‘BARNETT.- April 1, 1943, at a private hospital, Cremorne, Caroline Elizabeth, relict of the late Frederic James Barnett (late post-master, Newcastle) and loved mother of the late Captain Frederic George Barnett (original A.I.F.), Laura (Mrs. W. A. Clift), Gwen, Roy, and Victor (R.A.A.F.),[died] aged 78 years.’