7887 Private Andrew Frew, (29/12/1880-13/12/1917). "a keen supporter of manly games"

A young man named Andrew Frew met with a serious accident at Seaview Downs on Wednesday last (says the Southland Times). He was driving four horses attached to a set of disc harrows, when a rein got under the tail of one of the inside horses, and while endeavoring to adjust it, the horses took fright and bolted. Frew was thrown to the ground, and the harrows passed over him. Dr Agnes Baird was summoned, and on examination it was found that Mr Frew’s left leg was broken above the ankle, and there were several ugly lacerations, which required stitching, on both legs. He was removed to the Gore Hospital, and was, according to latest accounts, progressing favorably. About twelve months ago Mr Frew had his left leg broken while playing football, and the fracture he sustained on Wednesday was near to the first break.  -Lake County Press, 12/9/1912.

Private Andrew Frew, died of wounds, was the eldest son of Mrs Mary Frew, now of 22 Warrender street, Dunedin, and of the late Mr Andrew Frew, of Mosgiel. He was born at Saddle Hill, but spent his boyhood days at Mosgiel, where he was educated. He saw service in the South African war, and, although suffering from the result of an accident received about four years ago, enlisted at Temuka for the present war, and sailed with the Twenty-second Reinforcements. Arriving in England, he was soon drafted to France. He was slightly gassed on August 5, but rejoined his unit on the 12th, and remained with the forces until he made the supreme sacrifice on the 13th December. He was a straightforward, likeable man, and a keen supporter of manly games. He was for a few years connected with the Government State farm at Moumohaki. Subsequently he took up land, in the Seaward Downs district, where he met with a rather severe accident, which necessitated his giving up the land for a time. His youngest brother, Rifleman David Frew, was killed at Flers in September, 1916.   -Otago Witness, 2/1/1918.

Andrew Frew was gassed at a time when his Regiment (Canterbury) was occupying trenches in the vicinity of La Basse Ville in France.  It wasn't a particularly active area, but German artillery took its toll over the period.

It was also a relatively quiet period at the Polygon Wood area of Passchendaele when Andrew Frew was wounded in the chest and had the humerus bone in his upper right arm broken by a bullet on December 13, 1917.  He died the same day.

East Taieri Cemetery.