TUCKER, William Charles
| Service Number: | 1581 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 July 1915, Keswick South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 19 February 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Hardware assistant |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Grave II. F. 6. INSCRIPTION IN LOVING MEMORY OF BILL CHERISHED SON OF MARGARET AND JAMES OF ADELAIDE. FINALLY AT REST |
| Memorials: | Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial - Rose Park, Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Burnside & District - Fallen Soldiers Memorial Trees - Rose Park, Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick South Australia Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1581, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1 | |
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Geelong (A2) | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1581, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
32nd Bn.,Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
He was 20 and the son of James Douglas Percy and Margaret Tucker, of 146, Grant Avenue, Toorak. Adelaide.
Before enlisting he was a hardware assistant from Rose Park, South Australia. He embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT Geelong on 18 November 1915 for Suez. His battalion relocated to the Western Front, France, during June 1916. Pte Tucker was reported missing in action on 20 July 1916 during the Battle of Fromelles. German authorities subsequently confirmed that he had been killed in action on 19 July 1916. Initially he had no known grave but, in 2008 a burial ground containing the bodies of 250 British and Australian soldiers was located at Pheasant Wood, France. The soldiers died during the Battle of Fromelles on the night of 19-20 July 1916 and were buried by German troops. In 2010 all of the remains were reburied in the newly created Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. At the time of the official dedication of the cemetery on 19 July 2010, ninety-six Australians had been identified through a combination of anthropological, archaeological, historical and DNA information. Since then other Australians, including Pte Tucker, have been identified. His oldest brother, 2749 Pte James Roland Tucker died of wounds received in action at Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium, on 16 October 1917 (See P09291.347). His older brother, Lieutenant Francis George Tucker, 43 Battalion, survived the war although severely injured and returned to Australia in February 1920
Biography
1581 PTE William Charles Tucker 32nd Battalion. PTE Tucker was a member of the 32nd battalion when it attacked the strong German defences at Fromelles. Like many that day he fell behind the German lines and his body was never discovered until the efforts of Melbourne High School teacher Lambis Eglisios discovered a German Mass Grave at Pheasant Wood. The process then began to attempt DNA matching. As a result PTE Tucker’s remains were identified and he is now no longer "Missing in Action". Image Nathan Rohrlach, private collection.
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