Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of James and Elizabeth PINKERTON, Scone, New South Wales

Trooper William Harold Pinkerton was born in the rural NSW town of Scone in 1893 to James and Elizabeth Pinkerton.

He would grow up in the region, being educated the local Ellerston Public School, before becoming a labourer. He would also become part of the 6th Light Horse Regiment in the Citizens Militia Forces, the predecessor to todays Army Reserve, so it was no surprise when less then a month after the outbreak of war, William would enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces on the 22nd of August 1914, becoming part of the 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment.

The 1st were formed in Sydney, and less then two than two months later, William and the rest of the 1st would embark for Egypt on HMAT Star of Victoria, arriving on the 8th of December. They would train and ready themselves in Egypt, but it was soon discovered that they would be unsuitable for the fighting at Gallipoli. By May 1915, with losses beginning to mount on the peninsula, the men of the Light Horse were asked if they would volunteer to fight without their mounts, and by the 12th the Regiment had landed at Gallipoli.

William was unable to do so, as he had been hospitalized in early April, but he would join them on the 15th of July. Unfortunately for William he would spend less then a month with the Regiment.

On the 7th of August 1915, a series of futile and negligent attacks were ordered, with the charge at The Nek, the most well known of these. But a short distance away, William and the rest of the 1st were ordered to attack another set of trenches known as the “chessboard”, due to their shape and the number of them. They were ordered to charge with unloaded rifles and bayonets fixed, with orders to only load their rifles when they reached the enemy trenches. 200 men would charge on the morning of the 7th, and despite some raiders reaching the 3rd trenchline and holding it for a number of hours, without sufficient backup, they were eventually forced back to their own lines, for no gain, and at a casualty rate of nearly 75%, with 147 men becoming casualties during the attack.

William Harold Pinkerton would be just one of the dozens of men listed as Missing in Action, before his death would be confirmed a month later. He was only 22.