FAMILY LIFE

William Edward King was born c1894 in Bundaberg, Queensland. He was single labourer, eager to do his bit.

 APPLICATION

He travelled to Brisbane on 12 January 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his brother, Fred, of Condong. His medical showed he was 22 years 4 months old, 5ft 2 inches tall (1.57m), weighed 114lbs (51kgs), with a dark complexion, brown eyes & brown hair.  His eyesight was good. William was Church of England and had a scar on his right thigh and tattoos on both arms.  He was enlisted as a private into the 4^th Pioneer Battalion – 2^nd Reinforcements with service No 1881

 

4^TH PIONEER BATTALION

The 4th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised during World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in March 1916 in Egypt, the battalion was assigned to the 4th Division and served on the Western Front in France and Belgium until the end of the war in November 1918. Its service is remembered for its versatility and dedication under challenging conditions

 ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together

 Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

 Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

 This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months

 VOYAGE OVERSEAS

On the 18^th April 1916, the recruits left Melbourne, sailing upon the RMS Mooltan. They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant.

ETAPLES TRAINING CAMP

They disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt on 18^th May and sailed for Marseilles, France per the Ionian, disembarking on 6^th June 1916. William had already completed his basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the French training camp at Etaples, he & the other volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more

 TRENCH WARFARE

On 12th August 1916 he was taken on strength with the 4th Pioneer Battalion which gained their first experience of trench warfare around Armentieres, which was considered a quiet sector where newly arrived troops could gain experience prior to being committed to more hectic parts of the front. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats.

 The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

 HOSPITALISATION

DERANGEMENT OF KNEE JOINT 27^TH AUGUST 1916

He was admitted to hospital on 27th August 1916 with derangement of left knee joint. Internal derangement of the knee is a chronic mechanical condition that affects your knee joint. This injury causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joint, weakness or instability and an inability to straighten your leg completely. He was transferred to a base where he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units. He rejoined his unit on 4th October 1916.  However, his knee was continuing to be a problem so he was attached to the 1st Anzac Headquarters in France on 3^rd November.

 DISCIPLINED 22^ND DECEMBER 1916

He was charged with drunkenness on 22^nd December 1916. He was awarded 7 days Field punishment No 2. In Field Punishment Number Two, the prisoner was placed in fetters and handcuffs but was not attached to a fixed object and was still able to march with his unit. This was a relatively tolerable punishment.

 GOING HOME

William returned to duty on 25 March 1917. However, William had a major medical problem with knee and he was back in the rest camp on 21^st July and transferred to No 1 command depot in Perham Downs, England on 27^th August as classification C3 which was “only suitable for sedentary work”. On the 3^rd October 1917 it was decided to discharge William as medically unfit and he returned to Australia.  

 FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

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