Francis was born in Bacchus Marsh, VIC in 1897 to Francis William Tinker and Nellie Lane.

click to enlarge
Moascar Isolation Camp
Ismailia, Egypt (Aug - Sept 1917)
Courtesy of Springfield College,
Babson Library,
Archives and Special Collections

Francis was a telephone mechanic in Sydney, NSW when he enlisted in the AIF on the 9^th of October 1916, aged a little under 19. He was posted to the Depot Signal Training Company before he embarked aboard the HMAT A15 Port Sydney with the Signal Squadron, Cable Section in May 1917 and disembarked at Suez, Egypt in June.

After he arrived in Egypt he was at Moascar Isolation Camp⁽²⁾, Ismailia, for a month before he marched in to Australian & New Zealand Training Centre and Details Camp⁽³⁾, Moascar in July 1917. Francis was admitted to the 16^th Stationary Hospital, Moascar - mumps - for two weeks in August. In September he was AWL for 7 hours and forfeited one day's pay. He then shifted to the Base Signal Depot, Alexandria later that month and in January 1918 was found to be in Alexandria without a pass and forfeited five days pay and confined to camp for three days. Later that month he was moved to the Signal Park, Royal Engineers before being transferred to the 1^st Signal Squadron in early February. In April he spent some time in hospital with tonsillitis before joining the Signal Training Unit, Moascar in late May. Francis moved to the Australian & New Zealand Training Centre and Details Camp in July before he transferred to the 2^nd Signal Squadron in November. In January 1919 he was admitted to the 14^th Australian General Hospital suffering from deafness - blockage eustachian tube.

Francis embarked for home aboard the Euripides in March 1919 and returned to Sydney, Australia in April and was discharged from the AIF in August.

He is listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour, the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour and the Roll of Honour of S^t. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Bacchus Marsh.

Notes

1. He served in both the 1^st and 2^nd Signal Squadrons
2. As far as I am aware the Isolation Camp was set up to screen those soldiers arriving in Egypt as reinforcements. This happened because during 1915 as many soldiers arrived from Australian suffering from measles and other illness that soldiers get when crowded together for long periods. Most soldiers stayed around two weeks in the camp to see if the illness shows up then the soldier was passed on to the training unit. Other soldiers who had contracted an illness stayed longer till fit.
   - Australian Light Horse Association
   see also the AWM
3. The cable section was the signal element of the camp who were responsible for the telegraphy from the camp.