Private William George Arnold
Service #: 3255
Summary
BACKGROUND
William George Arnold was born in 1872, in Woollahra, son of William & Henrietta Caroline (Beiriger) Arnold. William was the eldest son, but the second oldest of 9 siblings, with 5 brothers and four sisters. William Snr moved to the Tweed in 1872 to take up the role of boatman and keeper of the light at Fingal. His wife & 2 young children joined him in 1873 and a further 8 children were born in the district. Two of his brothers, James & John also enlisted.
WHY DID WILLIAM ENLIST?
William was 43 years 5 months old. It must have been a hard decision to decide to go to war at that age. However, large sections of the Australian community felt loyal to Britain when the war was declared. More than 90% of migrants to Australia in the 8 years before 1914 were from the United Kingdom. Many Australians still called England 'the mother country'.
Australian men volunteered to enlist for different reasons, because they:
· needed regular pay
· sought combat or adventure
· wanted to escape from normal life
· wanted to do their duty for the British Empire.
We will never know William’s reason but thousands of Australian men joined the AIF in the first few months. They were willing to support the British Empire.
Australia's population in mid-1914 was just over 4.9 million, of which 52% were men. Each man of 'military age' (19 to 38 years old) had to decide whether to join the armed forces and go to war. It was an important decision that affected most families in Australia. Recruiting offices opened at army barracks around Australia on 10 August 1914, only 6 days after the war began.
ATTESTATION
William travelled to Townsville on the 14th December 1914 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as labourer. His next of kin was his mother, Henrietta, of Fingal Lodge.
He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, William George Arnold, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
SO, HELP ME, GOD.”
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
William was 5ft 10 inches tall (1.78m) and weighed 9stone 12 lbs (63). He had a brown complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. William was Church of England
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CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as a private with the 3rd Naval and Military Expeditionary Force with Service number 482.Although bearing a naval title, this force consisted largely of soldiers raised to occupy and administer former German possessions in the Pacific following their capture by Australian forces.
TRAINING AND EMBARKING FOR OVERSEAS JANUARY 1915
After enlistment, William underwent a brief period of military training then, in January 1915, William sailed from Australia for Rabaul in New Britain, the administrative centre of the former German colony of New Guinea. The Australian occupation force was responsible for maintaining control of the territory, guarding strategic installations, protecting wireless stations and supporting the civil administration established after the German surrender. For many Australians, service in New Guinea was their first experience of life overseas.
The urgency of the operation meant that training was necessarily condensed. Like many recruits, William would have been instructed in military discipline, drill, rifle handling, musketry, fieldcraft, guard duties and camp routine. The occupation force was expected not only to defend its positions but also to maintain order and carry out garrison responsibilities in a remote tropical environment. Physical training, route marching and elementary military administration would also have formed part of his preparation.
Conditions in the tropics were vastly different from those at home. The climate was hot and humid, tropical diseases were common, and much of the work involved routine garrison duties rather than active combat. Nevertheless, the experience gave William valuable military training and overseas service experience long before he later enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force for service abroad.
William served at Rabaul in New Britain as part of the Australian occupation of former German New Guinea. Following periods of leave in Australia and a return to his unit in 1916, he completed his engagement and was discharged in June 1916. Later that year he enlisted in the AIF, beginning a new chapter of military service that would eventually take him to the battlefields of the Western Front with the 42nd Battalion.
ATTESTATION 1917
William was still in Townsville on the 7th May 1917 when he decided to re-enlist. He completed his application and again answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was still a single man and gave his occupation as miner. His next of kin was his mother, who apparently is now going by her second Christian name Caroloine, of Tweed Heads. William also listed his permanent address as Tweed Heads.
He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, William Georg Arnold, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
SO, HELP ME, GOD.”
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
William is now younger than he was in 1914- he states his age as 43 years 2 months old. If he had stated he was his real age of 45years 2 months he would have not eligible to enlist as the cut off age is 45. At approximately forty-five years of age, he was considerably older than the average recruit, but he already possessed valuable military experience gained during his service with the 3rd Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in New Guinea. Whether motivated by a desire to avoid scrutiny or simply to ensure his acceptance, the alteration achieved its purpose and he was accepted for active service. He is still 5ft 10inches tall (1.78m) but now weighs 150lbs (58kgs). All the rest is the same. His eye sight is good. He was dentally fit
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CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. William was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 11th June 1917. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as a private with the 42 Infantry Battalion, 8th reinforcements with service number 3255
TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA
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 recruits 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 could take several months
INNOCULATIONS
All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.
THE UNIFORM
The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.
SOLDIER’S KIT
Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.
· Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.
· Braces: worn with breeches.
· Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.
· Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.
· Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.
· Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.
· Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.
· Jersey
· Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.
· Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.
· Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.
· Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.
· Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.
· Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.
· Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.
· Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.
· They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.
· No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO ENGLAND JUNE 1917
On the 12th June 1917 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on the 14thJune they embarked on the HMAT Hororata. Alongside his comrades, William marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.
SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.
Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.
DAILY ROUTINE
Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.
MEALS
Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.
HEALTH & SANITATION
Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.
THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE
Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. In an attempt to keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.
The 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
CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY
The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.
SIGHTS AT SEA
On the way to Egypt, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.
SECURITY
By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.
EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. They could only wonder at the sights and sounds they could see as they watched the ship being refuelled and goods taken on board
ENGLAND
About a fortnight later the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the training grounds of England, preparing for what lay ahead.
ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND AUGUST 1917
The troops disembarked at Liverpool on the 25th August 1917. After disembarking the men would have passed through reception depots where military records were checked, medical inspections carried out, and equipment issued or exchanged. Accommodation during this period was usually in transit camps or temporary barracks while transport and camp space were organised. Moving thousands of soldiers around Britain was a major undertaking, and delays of a week or two between arrival and movement to a permanent camp were not unusual.
LARKHILL- ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP AUGUST 1917
However, Williams and the recruits were placed in Larkhill Training Camp on the 27th August. When the recruits arrived in England, they entered a period of intensive preparation that was both physically demanding and strategically vital. During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.
· Received equipment and uniforms: This included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
Then formal training began. Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the English weather, and the damp cold of the Plain came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and/or Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.
Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions.
Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.
Between training cycles, the battalion undertook further instruction at nearby camps on Salisbury Plain, including periods at Perham Down, another major training area used to relieve overcrowding and provide additional field space. Here the emphasis was on large-scale exercises involving entire brigades, practising attacks behind creeping artillery barrages, night operations, and movement under cover. These exercises often lasted days, with men sleeping in the open, reinforcing the endurance and discipline required for front-line service.
Despite the hard routine, there were moments of respite. When training schedules allowed, the men may have been granted short leave to nearby towns such as Salisbury or even London, where Australian soldiers briefly escaped the rigours of camp life. These interludes, however, were short-lived, and the training intensified as the battalion’s departure for France drew closer.
After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.
PROCEEDED OVERSEAS TO FRANCE MARCH 1918
TAKEN ON STRENGTH 52ND BATTALION
On 4 March 1918 William arrived in France and was posted as a reinforcement to the 52nd Battalion. After crossing from England, he entered a very different war from that experienced by the occupation forces in New Guinea. The Western Front was entering its final and most decisive year. The battalion was then occupying trench positions and carrying out training designed to prepare the men for the anticipated German offensive. William's first weeks in France were spent adapting to the harsh winter conditions, the routine of trench warfare and the constant threat posed by enemy artillery and patrol activity.
As a newly arrived reinforcement he would have undergone a period of familiarisation with front-line conditions, learning the battalion's procedures, trench layouts and operational routines before fully integrating into his company. Although already an experienced soldier, the realities of service on the Western Front differed greatly from the tropical garrison duties he had previously know
FIELD AMBULANCE- PYEXIA April 1918
On 13 April 1918 William was admitted to the 11th Field Ambulance suffering from pyrexia, a medical term simply meaning fever. In First World War records it was often used when a soldier presented with a raised temperature but the exact cause had not yet been identified. The condition could result from influenza, respiratory infections, exposure, exhaustion, gastrointestinal illness, or the early stages of diseases common on the Western Front. Given William's age—he was already in his mid-forties—the physical demands of front-line service may have made him more susceptible to illness than many younger soldiers.
The 11th Field Ambulance was not a hospital but a mobile medical unit operating close behind the front lines. Here William would have been examined by medical officers, given rest, nourishment and treatment aimed at reducing his fever while his condition was monitored. Had his illness worsened he would likely have been evacuated further down the medical chain to a Casualty Clearing Station or General Hospital. Fortunately, his condition appears to have been relatively mild, and after a fortnight of recovery he rejoined his unit on 27 April 1918.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH 42ND BATTALION MAY 1918
A few weeks later, on 16 May 1918, William was taken on strength of the 42nd Battalion in France. The battalion was then recovering from the fierce fighting associated with the German Spring Offensive and preparing for the operations that would eventually turn the tide of the war. During the following months William served with the battalion as the Australians helped halt the German advance and then joined the Allied counter-offensives that culminated in the victories of late 1918.
THE GREAT SPRING OFFENSIVE (OPERATION MICHAEL)
MARCH TO JULY 1918
In March 1918, the new Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia ended its role in the First World War by signing the Brest-Litovsk Treaty with the Central Powers.
This had a significant impact on the war in Western Europe, giving rise to the German Spring Offensive, also known as the ‘Kaiserschlacht’ (the Kaiser’s battle).
The Russians had been beaten by the Germans in a number of battles early in the war, but they had also inflicted substantial defeats on the Ottomans, Germans troops and Austrian-Hungarian forces.
With the signing of the treaty, however, the Germans ‘freed up’ their forces on the Eastern Front, reinforced their army on the Western Front, and raised it to 206 Divisions.
In response, the Allies raised 172 Divisions on the Western Front, including a growing number of Americans, which provided sufficient impetus for the Germans to mount their Spring Offensive.
Erich Ludendorff, the commander of the German Army on the Western Front, believed if Germany did not act, the Allies would achieve ascendancy.
The Germans were aware the balance of power was shifting and, while they held a superiority in numbers, this would soon change if they did not strike a decisive blow.
The German offensive was spearheaded by Operation Michael and supported by operations Georgette, Gneisenau and Blücher-Yorck, supported by smaller operations to deal with battlefield contingencies.
Operation Michael began with a devastating barrage of nearly 10,000 artillery pieces and mortars. The attacks were spearheaded by path-finding ‘Stormtroopers’, followed by immense numbers of infantry.
The German attack worried Australia’s diggers as much as those in high command, with soldiers bitter about the German successes.
Barwick though was aware this was the German’s ‘last throw of the dice’ and he was supremely confident the Australians would check the German advance.
Operation Michael seemed a success in terms of captured territory, prisoners and equipment, but it did not deliver an over-arching strategic blow to the Allies.
It did not destroy the British Army nor drive a wedge between the British and French forces.
Michael, along with the other German Spring Offensive operations, failed to achieve the desired aim of bringing the Allies to their knees.
After the Spring Offensive finished in July 1918, the initiative crossed to the Allies who — with the addition of American troops — brought Germany to its knees in a number of subsequent battles.
Germany surrendered less than six months after the last operation in its Spring Offensive
WAR ENDED 11th NOVEMBER 1918
The armistice that ended the First World War on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918
LEAVE IN UK JANUARY 1919
On 19 January 1919, with the war over, William proceeded on leave to the United Kingdom. For many soldiers this was the first real opportunity to enjoy the peace they had helped secure. Men visited London and other cities, toured the countryside, met friends and relatives, and enjoyed freedoms that had been impossible during wartime service.
DETACHED DUMP DUTY FEBRUARY 1919
He returned to France and rejoined the battalion on 9 February 1919. Shortly afterwards, on 22 February, he was detached for dump guard duty. Military dumps were large storage areas containing ammunition, food, engineering stores, equipment and other supplies essential to the army. Guarding these sites was important work, particularly in the months following the Armistice when vast quantities of military stores remained scattered across France and Belgium. Duties involved patrolling the area, controlling access, preventing theft and protecting valuable supplies while demobilisation proceeded.
LEAVE IN PARIS APRIL 1919
On 5 April 1919 William was granted leave to Paris. After years of hardship and military routine, Paris was one of the most sought-after leave destinations for Australian soldiers. The city had escaped much of the destruction suffered nearer the front and offered soldiers cafés, theatres, museums, parks and the excitement of one of Europe's great capitals. Such leave was intended both as a reward for service and as a means of easing the transition from wartime to civilian life.
REJOINED UNIT AND PREPARING TO GO HOME
He rejoined the battalion on 19 April 1919 and remained with it until arrangements were made for his return to Australia. Like thousands of other AIF soldiers, he then entered the lengthy repatriation process involving medical examinations, documentation and waiting for available transport.
GOING HOME AUGUST 1919
William eventually embarked aboard the transport City of Exeter for the voyage home. After more than a year in France and nearly five years since his first overseas service with the Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, he finally sailed for Australia. The ship arrived on 26 August 1919, bringing him back to his homeland after a remarkable military career that had begun in New Guinea and ended on the battlefields of the Western Front.
CLOTHING AND NECESSITIES GIVEN TO SOLDIERS FOR SOLDIERS PROCEEDING TO AUSTRALIA FOR DEMOBILISATION
Badges Hat Badges Collar (2) Bags kit universal
Bags kit sea Braces (pair) Brush, shaving
Brush, tooth Breeches M.S (Military service)
Cap comforter (warm cap) Comb, hair
Disc identity with cord Drawers (2 pairs)
Great Coat Hat, Khaki fur Hat, white
Holdall Housewife (compact sewing kit)
Jackets Cardigan Jackets S.D (service dress)
Leggings 1 pair Laces, leather 1 pair
Puggarees, small (a traditional Indian head wrap, worn in warm conditions
Puttees, 1 pair (cloth bandages worn by soldiers, to provide support and protection
for the lower leg)
Razor Shirts, flannel (2) Socks, 3 pairs
Singlets (2)
Strap chin Soap piece Suit, working
Towels, hand (2)
Titles “Australia” (4)- Australian soldiers and non-commissioned officers wore an “Australia” title at the base of their shoulder straps. Each serving soldier also wore unit titles above this which indicated the units to which they belonged
DISCHARGED SEPTEMBER 1919
Following the completion of demobilisation formalities, William's military service officially concluded on 27 September 1919 when he was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force. At approximately forty-seven years of age, he returned to civilian life having served his country in two separate overseas forces and witnessed much of the First World War from its opening months through to the aftermath of victory.
For his service William was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Coolangatta Tweed Heads RSL roll
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
Coolangatta Tweed Heads RSL roll
Buried Location
We do not know the burial location of this individual
