Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

21/06/1916

Date of Discharge

17/01/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

27/12/1896

Place of Birth

Hong Kong

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

School(s) Attended

Wesley College (Melbourne)

Occupation

Soldier

Next of Kin

Elizabeth Focken (mother), Melbourne, Victoria

Final Rank

Flying Officer

Final Unit

Australian Flying Corps

Focken entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon with the fourth intake in March 1914 and graduated on 21 June 1916. He arrived in France in April 1917 as a reinforcement for the 58th Battalion and joined his unit in the front line in May 1917. The 58th Battalion were part of the Second Battle of Bullecourt, attempting to break through the German's strong point on the Hindenburg Line. Focken was shot in the right arm and wrist during the battle on 12 May 1917 and was evacuated to England for treatment. After recovering he was detached to the Australian Flying Corps and marched in for pilot training on 4 January 1918. He graduated as a Flying Officer on 2 June 1918 but, on a training flight at about 8.50am that day, his plane stalled during a turn at 800 feet, went into a spin and crashed. He was seriously injured, suffering lacerated wounds on the face, arms, hands and legs, concussion and a fractured leg. Focken was found to be blameless for the accident but returned to Australia with concussion, mental instability and a fractured tibia and fibula. He died on 23 January 1984 at Centennial House in Melbourne.

Coulthard-Clark cites the RMC Journal of 1918 for erroneously suggesting that Focken should have been recommended for the Victoria Cross.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
AWM First World War Unit Embarkation RollsAWM Collections record : 2DRL/0433, DAOF089
Charles Bean, 'Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18' (Vol. IV p.533n)
C.D. Coulthard-Clark, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1986', (p.62)
Age (Melbourne) - 26 January 1984