WILLIAMS, Richard Leonard
| Service Number: | 4782 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 February 1916, Adelaide South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Auburn, South Australia, Australia, 27 April 1895 |
| Home Town: | Henley Beach , City of Charles Sturt / Henley and Grange, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Auburn and Grange Public Schools, Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Station Hand |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 November 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Auburn RSL Community Centre, Auburn WW1 Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grange Public School Roll of Honor, Henley Beach Council Fallen WW1 & WW2 Honour Board, Henley Beach Council WW1 Service Roll, Henley Beach Roll of Honor, Henley Fulham Uniting Church Supreme Sacrifice Roll WW1, Kent Town Prince Alfred College 'Nobly Striving, Nobly Fell' Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide South Australia Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Aeneas (A60) | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4782, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4782 awm_unit: 27 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-11-05 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Help us honour Richard Leonard Williams's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of John Glanville Williams and Rosetta Williams, of "Dulce Domum", Henley Beach, South Australia.
Pte. R. L. Williams, news of whose death in France has been received, was born in 1895, attended the Auburn and Grange public schools, and went to Prince Alfred College in 1909, was a corporal of P.A.C. Cadet Corps, and secured two gold medals as the champion rifle shot of B Company, 1st Battalion, in 1910, and as the champion shot at the battalion competitions.
Leaving school, he joined his father in the sheep and wool in dustry, and soon became an expert with the shearing machine and woolclassing. After harvest in February, 1916, he decided to enlist for active service with his friend and school chum, L. J. Branson. After two weeks in camp he secured his first stripe, and five weeks after enlisting left for the front. After training on Salisbury Plains, he was transferred to France, where he went into the firing line on October 4.
The following is an extract from a letter, dated October 14:— "Well, I'm an old soldier now, and know the strain of battle. I tell you I felt mighty queer going into the front line at midnight, only 25 yards from 'Willie,' but the gods were merciful, and everything was quiet. Nothing happened to make us scared. Our trench was not very comfortable, being only an advanced post, right in front of the main line. If we make a noise, or show we are about 'Fritz' just drops a bomb, or more often a 'Minnie wafer' and up goes the whole job — me, sandbags, breeches, and boots. The front is a weird place at night; all along the line both sides send up lights (star shells) to see if the other is raiding or patrolling, and there is a rattle of machine guns all the time, but the time to see things fly is about 5 p.m., when both sides open up artillery and trench mortars to say 'good-night.' It is wonderful how one can dodge the big projectiles that come whizzing over, screaming all the way, and explode almost in one's ears, but we had only one casualty for the whole seven days we were in the line." On December 8 Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Williams were informed through the Rev. Mr. Hawke, of Henley Beach, that their son was killed in action on November 5.
Click images to start slideshow.