Fred Heintz

Fred Heintz
Personal information
Full name	Frederick John Heintz
Nickname(s)	"Fatty"
Date of birth	(1913-07-22)22 July 1913
Place of birth	Carlton, Victoria
Date of death	20 February 1942(1942-02-20) (aged 28)
Place of death	Ambon, Dutch East Indies
Original team(s)	Fitzroy Methodists / Oakleigh
Position(s)	Half forward flank
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1931–33	Fitzroy	14 (18)
1934–38	Oakleigh (VFA)	57 (116)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1938.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Frederick John Heintz (22 July 1913 – 20 February 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was killed at Ambon in World War II.

Career

Fitzroy

Strictly speaking, he made his VFL debut for Fitzroy, against Collingwood, on 18 July 1931, when he was selected as 19th man; however, in those days, the 19th man in a VFL team only took the field to replace an injured player — and, because there were no Fitzroy injuries, Heintz, although selected, never took the field. He was selected, for a second time, in the Fitzroy team, on the half-forward flank, against Footscray, on 22 August 1931; he did play that day, and that's why some records show it as his debut, and others show it as his second game.

Oakleigh

In 1934, he was cleared, by Fitzroy, to the VFA club Oakleigh, on the understanding that Oakleigh would release him back to Fitzroy if ever he was required there.

Fitzroy requested his return in 1937, just after the second VFA round of the season; yet, notwithstanding Fitzroy's request, Heintz did not play for Fitzroy again and, although missing seven VFA matches, he resumed playing for Oakleigh in round 9 (12 June) of the 1937 season.

In all, he played 57 games for Oakleigh, over five seasons (1934 to 1938), scoring 116 goals.

Military service

He joined the Second AIF in June 1940. He died in active service.

Heintz … was part of the 2/21 Battalion Gull Force sent to the island of Ambon in the Banda Sea to defend key airfields and deep water harbours. A huge Japanese force invaded the island in January, 1942, with heavy Australian casualties, including 229 Diggers who were executed at the Laha airfield and others taken prisoner of war. Precise details of Heintz's death are not known and he was reported as "presumed" dead, the date of death recorded as February 20, 1942. Private Frederick John Heintz has no known grave and is commemorate at the Ambon Memorial, which takes the form of a shelter …

See also

• List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service

References

• Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
• Main, J. & Allen, D., "Heintz, Fred", pp.262–263 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002
• World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Frederick John Heintz (VX24926). Archived 21 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• World War Two Service Record: Private Frederick John Heintz (VX24926).
• Roll of Honour: Private Frederick John Heintz (VX24926): Australian War Memorial.
• Photograph: National Archives of Australia.
• Army Casualties: Overseas: Previously Reported Missing, Now Believed Died While Prisoner of War, The Argus, (Wednesday, 19 December 1945), p.6.

External links

• Fred Heintz's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Boyles Football Photos: Fred Heintz.
• Fred Heintz at AustralianFootball.com
• Fred. J. Heintz, at The VFA Project.