This poet's name is Frank E. Westbrook.

Francis Edmund Westbrook was born in 1889 at South Yarra in Victoria Australia and died in 1976 aged 87 years in Hawthorn, Victoria. On enlisting, Frank described his civilian occupation as a cook, but in the army he held the rank of Trumpeter in 2 FAB (Field Artillery Brigade). He shipped out on the HMAT Shropshire on 20/10/1914.

Before Gallipoli, Frank (and his regiment) were in Egypt. His records indicate that after months of front line action he was evacuated from Gallipoli with "severe Diarrhoea", this was actually a euphemism for Dysentry. Many soldiers at Gallipoli died from Dysentry and medical staff were under pressure not to report it as such. Frank initially recovered on the Greek island of Lemnos before being returned to England in early 1916.

Frank met, and fell in love with Winifred Eggleton. They were married on 21st June 1918. In fact Frank's Army record sports a number of AWOL's during his time in England, obviously love was more important than obeying petty deadlines!

With his new wife he returned to his beloved Australia, and as far as is known, lived a normal life back in his homeland. Frank was very much a "working class" hero. While his poems may lack some of the finesse of Sassoon or Auden they are deeply moving, especially when he relates to his fallen comrades in poems such as Percy or Good-bye. Occasionally some of the propaganda of the era shows through, but surely this can be forgiven. Frank was a brave ordinary soldier "doing his bit".

The above information may be found on Bill Rees' website:

http://anzacandafter.blogspot.com/2008/03/frank-westbrook-information.html

The above picture is kindly provided by Bill Rees.

Frank E. Westbrook is an important Australian poet for several reasons, least of which is the fact that he was a mere private, yet he spoke with an affection for his fellow soldiers which may be compared to Owen. He, along with certain other Australian Great War poets, should be compulsory reading in the Australian school curriculum. The following poem is taken from Frank's book, 'Anzac and After'.

Introduction

In byways of duty that led me through danger,
By valleys and slopes that were tinted with blood
In crackle of Maxims and roar of shrapnel
When death in its coming rolled up to the flood
In heat, dust, and vermin and stench of the fallen
In sweat and in sorrow, in struggle and toil,
In waiting and watching, in nerve-racking vigil,
In sap and in traverse entrenched in the soil,
In dreams of Australia and hours of remembrance,
In longing and sighing, in hope and regret,
In vision of bushlands and homes of my fathers,
In myriad scenes that a man can't forget,
In pride in our army the men of Australia,
The living, the broken, the maimed and the dead,
In sympathy keen for the loved ones who sorrow,
In pride for the cause that we've fought for and bled.
In brilliant transcendence of sunrise and splendour
In colours of grandeur the sunsets have worn,
In shade, shine and shower, and days of forebodings,
In mirth and grey sorrow these verses were born.

ANZAC, April 25 to Oct 8, 1915