MILITARY MEMORIES: ROSEBUD’S OWN
With a twinkle in his blue eyes,
decked out in his military service
medals, Fred Rossborough and
I sit at table number one at the
Rosebud RSL and I can tell I’m in
good company.
Fred is a war hero, but he doesn’t think of himself that
way – “we just did what we had to,” says the 90 year old
who served in the AIF from the tender age of 18, and was
awarded the distinctive Military Medal four years later.
It was 1941 and Fred was called to the army training
camp, which then gave them the option of joining the AIF
(Australian Imperial Forces), expeditionary forces raised to
fight overseas during the World Wars.
“I really wanted to join the AIF but had to convince my
parents to let me go. They had to sign the paperwork but I
eventually convinced them,” says Fred who gives the distinct
impression he could be very persuasive. In those days,
the age of consent was 21 so his parents had to make
the difficult decision to send him into military service but
eventually realised it was the right thing for him.
For Fred Rossborough that was the beginning of a five
year stint in the armed forces, where he would travel
everywhere from Papua New Guinea to Bougainville and
eventually to Japan.
“With the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion my first active
service was in the jungles of New Guinea. We were there for
17 months,” says Fred. “New Guinea was occupied by the
Japanese and you very quickly learnt to look out for yourself as
well as your mates when fighting in the jungle.”
Fred wasn’t joking when he said he looked out for his
fellow soldiers. In fact he received the coveted Military
Medal in April 1945 for just that. His citation reads, ‘When
his platoon command and two other men were caught in
heavy crossfire, Lance Corporal Frederick Rossborough
called out to the enemy so as to draw their fire onto
him. This ruse succeeded and the men were able to take
cover. He continued to call the fire onto himself, so the
platoon commander could locate and bring the tank
fire to bear on the enemy... Lance Corporal Frederick
James Rossborough’s action displayed great courage and
disregard for personal danger.”
The citation sits proudly in the foyer of the Rosebud RSL
where Fred now spends much of his time, working as the
Welfare Officer and on the board.
While Fred miraculously didn’t receive any major injuries
during this heavy crossfire, ironically a month later he was
wounded in battle, receiving two slugs, one in the hip and
one in the lung. In those days, the hospitals didn’t have the
ability to remove these types of bullets so Fred actually
lived with them for many years and only in the last eight
years have they been removed.
“I should have quit while I was ahead,” he laughs as he recalls
being taken to the temporary field hospital. “It was while I
was in hospital I found out I was getting the Military Medal.”
Like all fair dinkum heroes, Fred still believes he did what
anyone would do.
“There’s plenty of brave soldiers in wars,” he says.
Even after all he had been through, Fred still wasn’t ready
to finish his military career and so convinced the doctors to
let him go to Japan with his infantry unit, where he served
for 14 months. He was discharged from service on June
3rd, 1947.
Many more adventures were in store for Fred when he
returned home, the greatest one meeting the love of his
life, Rita, and marrying her soon after.
“I went up to Ballarat with a mate and met his niece, Rita. We
were married the next year in July, 1948,” says Fred.
After 54 and a half wonderful years and three boys, Rita
passed away at age 80.
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