Next of kin plaque : Lance Corporal F D Stillwell, 43 Battalion, AIF

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'FRANK DEAN STILLWELL'. The obverse is stamped with the mark of the Woolwich Arsenal, a 'W' within a circle.

Frank Dean Stillwell was born at Hackham, South Australia and was a 20 year old labourer when he enlisted in the AIF at Adelaide on 19 February 1916. He had previously served for two years in the senior cadets, in the 76th (Hindmarsh) Infantry.

Stillwell was assigned the service number 563 and underwent initial training with the 1st and 2nd Depot Battalions before being posted to C Company, 43 Battalion. He left Adelaide for service on the Western Front aboard the transport HMAT Afric on 9 June. After a brief stop in Egypt the battalion travelled to England, training at Fovant, where Stillwell qualified as a Lewis Gunner, until the end of December when it went to Belgium.

In 1917 the battalion took part in its first major action at Messines, followed by the Third Battle of Ypres. For his actions at Messines, Stillwell was mentioned in Divisional Orders. The citation reads, 'On the 31st July 1917 East of Messines, this man was one of a Lewis Gun team in the attack. After the majority of the team had been wounded he took charge of the Gun. He showed great ability and courage under heavy enemy fire. Mainly through his coolness and persistence with which he worked his gun, the enemy was forces to retire after attempting a counter attack in numbers. He also gave valuable assistance in dressing the wounded.'

Stillwell's health had broken down by December and he was sent to England for hospitalisation and convalescence, followed by some leave. He returned to his battalion in France at the end of March 1918, in time to take part in the battles of Villers Bretonneux and Hamel. He had recently returned from further leave when he was killed near Mont St Quentin, on 1 September 1918. A member of C Company's No 1 Lewis Gun team, he was hit in the stomach by German fire at daybreak, as he was attacking an opposing machine gun nest.

Stillwell's body could not be located for formal burial after the war and his name is listed on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial for the missing.