RUTHERFORD, William
| Other Name: | Rutherford, William Shepherd |
|---|---|
| Service Number: | 3536 |
| Enlisted: | 26 February 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 7th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, November 1879 |
| Home Town: | Milton, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | cook |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 24 October 1961, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 9 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3536, 7th Field Ambulance | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 3536, 7th Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 24 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 3536, 7th Field Ambulance, HMAT Ascanius, Brisbane | |
| 18 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 3536, 7th Field Ambulance, 1st MD |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Corporal William Shepherd Rutherford (Service No. 3536), an Australian World War One veteran who served out nation at Gallipoli, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 20 September 2025, along with a further 161 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
William Shepherd Rutherford was born in 1878 at Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Brisbane on 27 February 1915, declaring his age as 35, occupation as cook, and marital status as single. His sister, Effie Rutherford of Milton, Brisbane, was nominated as next of kin. On 24 May 1915, he embarked from Brisbane for overseas service with the 7th Field Ambulance aboard HMAT Ascanius. Service with his unit followed in active theatres of war. In April 1916, he was admitted to hospital suffering from malaria, and in December of that year was again hospitalised with a bladder and stomach infection.
Returning to Australia in January 1919 aboard the troopship HT Berrima, Rutherford was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 18 April 1919. Electoral records place him at Mosman, North Queensland, in 1919, employed as a labourer. By 1925, he is recorded as residing at Ingham, North Queensland, where he was also working as a labourer. Between 1933 and 1949, he lived with his sister, Effie, at Auchenflower, Brisbane.
Corporal William Shepherd Rutherford died on 24 October 1961, aged 83, and was buried in Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. He was a single man who had no known children.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget.
Click images to start slideshow.