Born at Barmedman, New South Wales in 1888 to and Elizabeth Kearney of Tullamore (near Parkes), NSW.
Working in Gloucester as a mounted policeman, Frank enlisted on the 17th of September 1914 at Sydney NSW, aged 26 years and 6 months. He enlisted with John McDonald, also from Gloucester and served with the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment. Although he gave his next of kin as his mother Elizabeth of Tullamore, his documents were amended to his wife Sarah Gertrude Matthews care of Mrs. Middlebrook of Church Street, Gloucester. Frank and Sarah had a son, also Frank Walter.
The 6th Light Horse Regiment was raised at Sydney in September 1914 as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force and comprised twenty-five officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons, each of six troops. Each troop was divided into eight sections of four men. In action one man of each section, was nominated as a horse holder reducing the regiment’s rifle strength by a quarter. Its personnel were mostly recruited from the state of New South Wales. Once formed, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade serving alongside the 5th and 7th Light Horse Regiments.
On the 21st of December 1914, only three months after being raised, the regiment sailed for Egypt aboard the ‘HMAT A29 Suevic’ arriving on the 1st of February 1915. When the Australian foot infantry left Egypt to take part in the Gallipoli campaign, the light horse regiments were left behind, the authorities believing mounted troops would not be needed in the campaign. However, casualties amongst the Australian infantry were so severe it was decided to send the light horsemen without their horses, as infantry reinforcements. The 6th Light Horse boarded the ‘HMV Lutzow’ on the 15th of May and landed on the peninsula on the 20th of May. They were attached to the 1st Division and made responsible for the defence of the right flank of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position. During the campaign they fought mainly defensive actions around the Anzac Cove beachhead, until being withdrawn in December 1915 as part of the Allied evacuation from the peninsula.
TPR Matthews was 27 years old when he was ‘Killed in Action’ on the 17th of September 1915 at Gallipoli. His records show he was buried at Beach Cemetery by chaplain J. Hearn.
