Photo: In March 1916 in France Frederick Annand was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion. He was wounded in November and evacuated to London, resuming his command at the Western Front in February 1917. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Pozieres in December 1917 and received a Bar to his DSO for his leadership at Montbrehain in October 1918, the AIF’s final battle at the Western Front. He was also ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ four times during his service.
DSO Citation: “For special devotion to duty and conspicuous good service during the operations at Pozieres in July and August 1916. He was unremitting in his attention to duty during the whole time in the trenches.”
Bar to DSO Citation: “At Montbrehain on 5th October 1918, in charge of a Pioneer Battalion, he succeeded in carrying out a very difficult relief in pitch darkness. After this he ably carried out a flanking movement to the attack on Montbrehain, driving back the enemy and ensuring a defence which proved to be unbreakable. His reconnaissance had to be carried out under heavy shell fire.”
