Frank Hartley HUGHES [33]

  General Notes:

1896 SA Births 591/302 HUGHES Frank Hartley Joseph Ryder HUGHES Jane Elliot CHAPMAN, Adelaide
1921 NSW Death 13863 HUGHES FRANK H JOSEPH R JANE E COWRA

DESERT COLUMN
3354 Private Frank Hartley Hughes, a 20 year old Farmer from Prospect, South Australia. He enlisted on 23 February 1917; and at the conclusion of the war returned to Australia, 20 July 1919.

WW1 Pictorial Honour Roll of South Australians
Service no 3354
Driver
9th Light Horse, Australian Mounted Divisional Training
Born 16 September 1896 at Prospect, SA
Son of Joseph Ryder Hughes and Jane Elliot nee Chapman Of Prospect
Enlisted 23 February 1917
Embarked 19 June 1917
Served in Egypt
Returned to Australia 23 August 1919 per 'Morvada'
Discharged 22 September 1919

The Sydney Morning Herald Monday 25 Jul 1921
Found Dead:
Cowra, Saturday.
Frank Hartley Hughes, a soldier settler, who had lately acquired a property a few miles from Cowra, was found dead on the roadside within a short distance of his home. He was well known in the district.
He was driving home, when it is surmised the horse bolted, and the sulky overturned, throwing Mr. Hughes against a tree, and he was killed instantly. He was a single man. His parents reside in South Australia.

Young Witness (NSW) Tuesday 26 July 1921I
SHOCKING END.
FOR A BRAVE YOUNG SOLDIER.
KILLED AT BARRYRENIE.
LANDRA SHAREFARMER'S DEATH.
On Friday morning, about 8.30 (reports the Cowra "Guardian") Mr. Samuel Bourke, when coming along the Barryrenie road, about nine miles from Cowra, discovered the body of Frank Hartley Hughes, a young soldier-settler in that locality. Word was sent to the Cowra police, and Sergeant Lenon at once proceeded to the spot. He found the body by the side of the road, huddled up. Nearby was a stump which had evidantly been knocked out by a sulky. Further on, going towards deceased's residence, empty bags and broken crockery were scattered about. The Sergeant tracked the sulky where it had turned off the road about 50 or 60 yards back from where deceased's body lay, showing the sulky had travelled over rough gutters, clearly indicating that the horse in the sulky which deceased was riding in had bolted and thrown the unfortunate man out. There was a severo wound on one side of deceased's head, whilst the other side of the skull was smashed almost to a pulp. His heavy military coat and private coat had been chafed through, evidently by the wheel, and there was grease over the clothing indicating that it had caught in the wheel. There was no sign of a struggle where the body was found and evidently deceased had died immediately he hit the ground. The horse and sulky were found about 400 yards away from the deceased at a dead end. The horse was almost free of the sulky, and the vehicle was nearly smashed to pieces. The last man to see Hughes alive was Mr. Reg Anderson. He met him about 1½ miles from the scene of the accident, about sundown. Deceased was then perfectly sober, and in good health and spirits. He remarked to Mr. Anderson that he must hurry on as an approach of a motor car might frighten his horse. The deceased had been in Cowra for a load of bags and household needs. He had about 200 bags on the sulky at the time. Deceased's father and mother reside in South Australia, and they have been apprised by wire of the sad occurrence. Deceased was the youngest son of the family, 24 years of age, and was a native of Prospect, South Australia. Hughes was a very happy natured young native, a great toiler and a very popular young man with all who knew him. The deceased was a fine stamp of manhood - a soldier settler who was making good on the land in a decisive way. He was present at the Band Carnival in Cowra on Wednesday, and joined in the ceremony of crowning the Diggers' Queen on Wednesday night. On Thursday he was also in town, and chatting with Mr. Marshall (Squire Pepper and Co.) told how he was making excellent progress on the land, had a very promising crop, and the prospects ahead of him were very good. Before the war deceased was share-farming on Iandra, near Greenethorpe. Nine months ago he purchased a block of land at Barryrenie through the repatriation Department from Mr. J. Pearce. His brother, also a returned man, has secured a block on Brundah soldier settlement, but was residing with his brother at the time of the fatality. The funeral took place in Cowra on Saturday afternoon. Returned soldiers assembled at the Memorial hall at 2 p.m. and joined the cortege.

Cowra Free Press (NSW: 1911-1921) Wednesday 27 July 1921
The Barryrenie Fatality:
A Finding of Accidental Death
A Magisterial Inquiry was held by the Coroner (Mr. P. G. Westphalen) on Monday into the circumstances surrounding the death of Frank Hartley Hughes, who was found dead on the Barryrenie road on 22nd inst.
Sergeant Lenon deposed that on 22nd inst from information supplied by Samuel Burke he went to Barryrenie and there saw the body of deceased fully clad lying on the right side, the legs being drawn up and the head inclined under the body, while under the head the ground was soak with blood; the body was cold and stiff, death having apparently taken place the night before; there was no sign of a struggle; deceased's head, was severely cut and bruised, and there was a soft patch on the back of the scalp as if the skull had been smashed, and there were also cuts and bruises on the back and legs; his clothing was cut and torn about and his heavy military overcoat cut and torn and marked with axle grease and dirt evidently from the wheel of a vehicle about 60yds from the body was a track of a sulky wheel leaving the road crossing gutters and rough ground, and running into a stump which was knocked out of the ground near where the body was lying the sulky track ran into another stump close to the same spot, the marks on same indicating a violent impact; a few yards farther on there were some broken portions of a sulky, broken crockery, and about 400yds farther on a broken up sulky turned upside down in the corner of a paddock was found; the deceased's coat was covered with Bathurst burr, and about 20yds further back the tops appeared to have been brushed off some burrs; believed deceased came to Cowra on 21st inst for the purpose of getting some chaff bags and household necessaries; deceased was a share-farmer, and his body was found only half-a mile from his residence.
Samuel Joseph Burke deposed he was a Farmer residing at Barryrenie, 16 miles from Cowra; knew deceased; on 22nd inst was driving into Cowra when he saw a horse and remains of a sulky; the horse was standing in the shafts of the sulky, which was turned upside down and almost smashed to pieces; about 300 yards farther on found deceased's body; noticed chaff bags and broken crockery strewn about; then proceeded to Cowra and reported the matter to the Police.
Reginald Anderson deposed he was a farmer, and resided at Back Creek, near Cowra; knew the deceased; saw him on 21st inst. about 5p.m, at W. Anderson's farm, Back Creek; deceased was driving a horse attached to a sulky; he got out of the sulky and witness was talking to him; Mr. Busby was coming along the road in a motor car and deceased remarked that he must get to his horse and sulky; he left witness then and got into the sulky and drove along the Barryrenie road; the following morning witness saw the dead body about 1½ miles from where he had seen deceased the previous evening; deceased was perfectly sober when witness saw him, and was in the best of spirits; he had a load of chaff bags on the sulky; the motor car driven by Mr. Busby had passed before deceased got into the sulky; it appeared to witness that the horse was restless and had a notion of bolting.
Herbert Chapman Hughes, a farmer residing at Barryrenie, deposed he was a brother of deceased; remembers the morning of the 21st instant, when deceased left his farm at about 10.30 for Cowra; went there to get some chaff bags and other necessaries; deceased was then in the best of health; did not see him again until he saw his dead body on the side of the Barryrenie road next morning; deceased was 24 years of age, single, and a Returned Soldier, and was born at Prospect, South Australia; deceased left a Will, which was made by him while in active service, but his life was not insured; had a farm of about 320 acres at Barryrenie, near Cowra, where they both resided; deceased was driving a timid horse; he had no other property except some horses and farming plant; deceased parents lived at Yumali, South Aus. The Coroner found that deceased met his death from injuries accidentally received.

  Research Notes:

Image courtesy of E. Creed

  Other Records

• Cemetery: Grave, 1921, Cowra, NSW, Australia.

• Coroner's Report: Residence, 1921, Barryrenie, NSW.