Frank Ulrich was born in Fremantle on 11 August 1886, one of seven children to Joseph von Ulrich and Clara Young. Educated at Fremantle Boys School, he spent four and a half years with the Cadets and on completion of his studies joined the Voluntary Field Artillery in Fremantle.
In his teenage years Frank played in goal for the Fremantle Reserves and Fremantle Hotspurs clubs. He joined the committee of the Junior British Football Association of Western Australia in 1904 and four years later had rise to the position of chairman. His interest in sport extended beyond football with Frank an active member of the Fremantle Sailing Club. The head of the family, Joseph, passed away when Frank was 20 years of age.
A few years later Frank and his younger brother Hubert headed north to Broome where they found work in the pearling industry. During the winter months the brothers returned to Fremantle and during one such visit, in January 1914, Frank became engaged to Dorothy Cook.
The brothers remained working in Broome until the onset of the Great War. Hubert was the first to enlist in October 1914 with the 10th Light Horse Regiment; Frank followed in February 1915, joining the 11th Battalion as a Private. Frank’s earlier military experience as a Cadet led to his promotion to Sergeant while undergoing basic training at Blackboy Hill camp.
Frank, 28, landed at Gallipoli on 4 August. The 11th Battalion had captured a Turkish trench — Leane’s Trench — only a few days earlier and were in the midst of fighting off attacks to retrieve it. Frank was thrown into the defensive action only to be killed by Turkish bombs on his first day, 6 August 1915.
He was buried among the 11th Battalion dead at Shell Green Cemetery, Gallipoli, “about 1150 yards south of ANZAC Cove”.