WOOLCOCK, Bertie Francis
| Service Number: | 51 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 March 1916, 92nd Infantry 3 years |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Waratah, Tasmania, Australia, 5 August 1895 |
| Home Town: | Waratah, Waratah/Wynyard, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Postal assistant |
| Died: | Enteric fever & Pneumonia, Military Hospital, Devonport, England , United Kingdom, 29 August 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Plymouth (Efford) Cemetery, Devon, England, Efford Cemetery (General Section, Row C, Grave No. 3948), Plymouth, England, Plymouth (Efford) Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hobart Postmaster General's Department Glorious Dead Honour Roll, Hobart Postmaster-General's Department WW1 Honour Roll, Launceston Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 51, 40th Infantry Battalion, 92nd Infantry 3 years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 51, 40th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 51, 40th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Hobart |
Help us honour Bertie Francis Woolcock's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date –I have no new research for the 29th August…… however the CWGC & AWM both have the date of death for Private Bertie Francis Woolcock as 29th August, 1916. Both CWGC & AWM were contacted & given evidence of the correct date of death (in my opinion) being 28th August, 1916.
This is Private Bertie Francis Woolcock’s story…….
Bertie Francis Woolcock was born on 4th August, 1895 at Waratah, Tasmania. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 4th March, 1916 as a 20 year old, single, Postal Assistant from Waratah, Tasmania.
According to information provided by his father for the Roll of Honour – Private Bertie Francis Woolcock received a gold medal for getting 100% marks in Signallers’ examination at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria.
Private Bertie Francis Woolcock embarked from Hobart, Tasmania on HMAT Berrima (A35) on 1st July, 1916 with the 10th Infantry Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion Headquarters & disembarked at Devonport England on 22nd August, 1916.
Private Woolcock was admitted to Military Hospital, Devonport, England on 22nd August, 1916 – “sick slight.”
Private Bertie Francis Woolcock died on 28th August, 1916** at Military Hospital, Devonport, England from Enteric & Pneumonia.
He was buried in Efford Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon, England where 48 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located. Private Woolcock has a Private Headstone. His death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
**[Note: Some of the forms in the Service Record file for Private Bertie Woolcock recorded that he died on 22nd August, 1916. Most of these were altered to show the date of death as 28th August, 1916 – as per his Private Headstone. The Australian War Memorial & the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website both had the date of death listed as 29th August, 1916. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstone Details form has the date of death as 29th but the Graves Registration form has 28th. I believe that there is more evidence in the Service Record file to support the date of death as 28th August, 1916 so both AWM & CWGC were advised at the time of research – August 2021]
**UPDATE - The Australian War Memorial have responded & have changed the date of death to 28th August, 1916. Still waiting for a response from CWGC who have the date of death as 29th August, 1916.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/o---y.html
Click images to start slideshow.