Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in 1890s South Australia to John and Harriet Muirhead, William Leslie Muirhead was a blacksmith, brother, husband, future father, and soldier in World War I. With their two other siblings, William and his brother, Archibald Stanley, were born and raised on Pepper Street, Magill, South Australia, and attended school on their street at Magill School.

William enlisted on the 11th of September 1915 at age 24, alongside his younger brother, Archibald Stanley Muirhead. They grew up into similar careers – both working with horses even into enlistment, where they joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment, a mounted rifles regiment. 

In the March of 1916, Muirhead and his regiment marched out to Serapeum assigned to the newly minted ANZAC mounted division. The regiment made up the majority of the fighting troops for the Jifjafa Raid in 1916, after which they moved on, defending the Suez Canal from Turkish attack across the Sinai Desert. They took no part in the battle itself, but the 3rd Light Horse Brigade were vital in an advance that followed the Turks’ retreat across the desert.

In a letter sent from Abassia dated 29th of June, William informs his mother that he has fallen ill and been transported to a hospital. His mother, Harriet Muirhead, then contacted the Red Cross also – they had, however, no record of William’s ailments on hand, and she was forced to visit them in person.

In his Red Cross records, it’s shown that William was in a hospital and then rest camp during this time due to undescribed illnesses. He returned to duty on the 18th of December 1916, and was transported by camel to his Regiment – which was, by this point, fighting on the Palestinian frontier to secure Turkish outposts of both Magdhdaba and Rafa. The 9th Light Horse regiment captured these on the 23rd of December 1916 and the 9th of January 1917 respectively.

Soon upon his return, Muirhead was hospitalised in March with influenza. He returned to duty a couple of days later but the following month he was sent back to hospital for undiagnosed condition. He was. He recovered and was taken on strength to the School of Instruction in Moascar and then back to his unit at the beginning of June.. He returned to active duty with the 9th Light Horse Regiment on the 2nd of July 1917, still in the Middle Eastern theatre of the war.

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade – by now reassigned to the Imperial Mounted Division (later known as the Australian Mounted Division) – turned their focus to Gaza; they were involved in the two failed battle attempts to directly capture the area but from October 31st 1917, they joined the wide-flanking operation through Beersheba that would lead to the fall of Gaza just a week later, on November 7th.

From that operation, Turkey suffered immensely; their position in Palestine was lost, and they were forced out of the immediate region. Muirhead’s Brigade had continued involvement in the pursuit of Ottoman forces, capturing Jerusalem in December of the same year.

In August 1918, Muirhead returned to hospital yet again from illness, where he would stay for a week before being transported to a rest camp. Muirhead stayed in the rest camp until April 1919, then returning to Australia on early repatriation five months after the war ended – two entire months before the rest of his regiment, including his brother, would land their feet back on Australian soil.

Muirhead returned to Australia aboard the HT Dorset, granted early repatriation due to his illness and he arrived back on 4th June 1919. He stayed in Broken Hill, NSW, and continued service there until he was honorably discharged in August 1919. For his time spent there, and contributions to the war effort, William’s name was marked on the South Mine Roll of Honour at Broken Hill.

Muirhead and his wife went on to have five children together; Max, Dorothy Joan, Betty Hylda, Jean, and Valda Gladys, before Florence’s unfortunate death from unknown illnesses in 1932. Following William’s return from the war, he came back to his career as a blacksmith, working predominantly with horses. William lost his younger brother, Archibald, to war-related illnesses in 1926 – at just 34 years old. Archibald’s widow, Maud, then helped to raise William’s children after Florence passed away. William retired in the 1950s, passing in 1973 to old age.

Despite the horrific experiences, injuries and illnesses he faced in the war, William was able to live a full life with his children; however, he lost his brother, with whom he was very close, to a war that changed his life forever. He was able to heal and move on from the terrifying impacts of the First World War, but William Muirhead’s life was tinged with grief for his brother and wife, from the war that took much of his health and energy.

William’s family, particularly his children, spoke highly of his service; it was a point of pride for them all, that he gave so much time and energy to the war effort. His children certainly saw him in the highest regard; his second daughter, Betty, inherited his love and knowledge of horses, keeping them throughout her life.

William’s children would go on to say he was a quiet man, but a brave one, and this is reflected in the actions he took throughout the war and afterward. Ultimately, William Leslie Muirhead demonstrated the spirit of the ANZACs through not only his actions in battle or the medals he earned, but also through the endless strength, stoicism and love he bestowed upon his family.