WILLISON, Robert Edgar
| Service Numbers: | 1197, 1180 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Rockdale, Rockdale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Commercial Traveller |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 25 April 1915, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Panel 13 Lone Pine Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Geraldton Gallipoli Roll of Honour, Hurstville War Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Sep 1914: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Sergeant, 1197, 1st Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Sergeant, 1197, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 1180, 1st Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1180 awm_unit: 1 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1915-04-25 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
William Robert Edgar was born in 1897 inSt George, Rockdale, New South Wales, the son of George Willison, J.P., and Matilda Willison. He grew up in Rockdale, where the family home “Gwenville” stood on Hill Street. His father served as a Justice of the Peace, and the family were active in their local community.
Edgar attended Sydney Technical High School in 1909 and 1910, where he studied physics and chemistry on a two-year scholarship. In 1912 he joined the 38th Battalion of the Citizen Military Forces, gaining early experience in discipline and weapons training that prepared him for later service.
On 23 September 1914, at the age of 17, Edgar enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Due to his prior militia experience he was initially ranked as a Sergeant, though he was later recorded as a Corporal prior to embarkation. He joined the 1st Battalion and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Themistocles (A32) on 22 December 1914. Like many soldiers, he prepared for war by training at Mena Camp near Cairo, where Australian troops drilled in the desert for several months before the Gallipoli landing.
Edgar wrote his will before leaving Egypt, a sober reminder of the dangers ahead: “In the event of my death all my deferred pay and personal effects go to E. Hubbard c/o Johnson & Sons, Castlereagh St.”
He landed at Gallipoli with the 1st Battalion on 25 April 1915, one of the first Australians ashore in the campaign. The battalion endured fierce Turkish resistance and heavy casualties. On 29 April, only four days after the landing, Edgar died of wounds sustained in battle. He was just 18 years old.
After his death, his parents experienced further anguish due to contradictory telegrams regarding his fate, reflecting the confusion of wartime communication. Edgar was posthumously awarded the 1914–15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, honours that recognised his service and sacrifice.
William Robert Edgar is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli, the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and on the Sydney Technical High School Honour Board. His name endures as part of the legacy of the young Australians who gave their lives in the First World War.
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