FROST, Dudley Vye

Dudley Vye or Vyer Frost was born in East Melbourne in May, 1897. He was the son of Ernest Frost and his wife, Adelaide Flora, nee Dudley, of 74 Patterson St., Middle Park, and this was the address he gave on his enlistment form. By occupation, Dudley Frost was a draughtsman, and in 1917 when he enlisted,was a month short of his twentieth birthday. He enlisted on on 26 April, 1917, at the time when the German Army was engaged in its massive Spring Offensive and was sent for training at Maribynong as a gunner. Training went from 7 May, 1917, to 22 July, 1917, and Dudley Frost was then attached to the 32nd Reinforcements of the Field Artillery.

They embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Indarra on 26 November, 1917, and disembarked at Suez on 29 December, marching in to the C. O. Camp there for three more weeks training. On 22 January, 1918, they entrained to Alexandria for embarkation to England, leaving on HMT Abbassiah, stoppng for four days at Taranto, then entraining from a rest camp at Taranto to the HMT Prince George, finally disembarking at Southampton on 15 February, 1918, and marching  out to Heytesbury. 

Dudley Frost left Heytesbury for France on 23 June, arriving at Rouelles on 26 June. marching in to the Australian General Brigade Division and on to join the 1st Australian Division Artillery Company. On 2 October, he was transferred to the 1st Australian Division Armoured Column. By then, the war was nearly over, with the armistice on 11 November, 1918. Dudley Frost stayed in France, but 11 March, came down with influenza, but was moved to a Convalescent Depot on 16 March, rejoining the 1st F.A.B. on 4 April. On 25 April, he marched out to begin the return from Australia, but was again ill on 25 April and admitted to the 3rd General Hospital on 30 April, then on to the No. 3 Rec. Camp for Convalescence.

By June, 1919,  he was again well and was granted leave with pay for the period 5 June-5 September. This enabled him to get work as a draughtsman with A. Beardmore and Company, Dalmuire, Dumbartonshire, Scotland. He returned to London afterwards and on 5 October, undoubtedly getting a bit restless, he went AWL and was fined 62 days' pay. He returned to Australia on board the Aeneas on 22 November and was discharged from the AIF on 8 February, 1920. By then, he was home living with his father an 74 Patterson St., Middle Park.

In 1925, Dudley Frost married Alice Treadwell and the following year, they had a daughter, Maxine Mary, and in 1930, a second, Judith Fay. By then, the family was living at 101 Alma Rd., St Kilda, where Dudley was working in sales. in 1927, the family moved to 125 Toorak Rd., Toorak, then in 1928, to 129 Toorak Rd. They were back in St. Kilda, at 8 Thackeray St. in 1931, and he was still working in sales. That same year, he changed his occupation to 'Inspector', a position he retained to 1942. At this time, he and Alice were at 4 Birdwood St., Elsternwick. Alice died in 1971 and it is possible that, after that, he moved out of Victoria to NSW. On 29 June, 1959, he wrote to the Army authorities, requesting replacements for his war medals, which had been lost and his lost Certificate of Discharge. He was then living at 7 Seaside Parade, Coogee, NSW. Dudley Vye Frost died in 1984, aged 87.