FISHER, William Hanlon
| Service Number: | 2350 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company |
| Born: | Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, 1886 |
| Home Town: | Gladstone, Gladstone, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Gladstone State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Electrical Mechanic with the Railways |
| Died: | Accidental (Injuries), France, 18 May 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Boulogne Eastern Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Manly War Memorial NSW |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Mar 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 2350, Mining Corps, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 2350, Mining Corps, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 31 Mar 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 2350, Mining Corps, HMAT Star of Victoria, Sydney | |
| 31 Mar 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 2350, Mining Corps, HMAT Star of Victoria, Sydney | |
| 18 May 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 2350, Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2350 awm_unit: Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1917-05-18 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
William Hanlon FISHER (Service Number 2350) was born in Gladstone, Queensland, in 1886, and educated at the local State school. After school he served an apprenticeship at Mount Morgan as an electrical mechanic, ‘winning many prizes during his electrical studies’. In 1910 he went to Sydney, where he worked at the [King George V] coronation electric illuminations and for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.’ In January 1912 he joined the NSWGR as an electrical mechanic. In January 1916 he was released from duty to enlist in the AIF at Liverpool.
William Hanlon FISHER (Service Number 2350) was born in Gladstone, Queensland, in 1886, and educated at the local State school. After school he served an apprenticeship at Mount Morgan as an electrical mechanic, ‘winning many prizes during his electrical studies’. In 1910 he went to Sydney, where he worked at the [King George V] coronation electric illuminations and for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.’ In January 1912 he joined the NSWGR as an electrical mechanic. In January 1916 he was released from duty to enlist in the AIF at Liverpool.
In October 1916 he joined the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company. This specialised military unit was engaged in underground warfare on the Western Front. On 10 May 1917 Fisher was seriously burnt, and injured by heat, in an accidental fire or explosion (for which he was not to blame) in the unit’s workshops in Hazebrouck. Admitted to hospital in Boulogne the next day, he died there of his injuries on 18 May. He was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.
Submitted 4 July 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
William Hanlon FISHER (Service Number 2350) was born in Gladstone, Queensland, in 1886. He was educated at the local State school. After school he served an apprenticeship at Mount Morgan as an electrical mechanic, ‘winning many prizes during his electrical studies’. In 1910 he went to Sydney. He worked at the [King George V] coronation electric illuminations and for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.’ In January 1912 he joined the NSW Government Railways as an electrical mechanic. In January 1916 he was released from duty to enlist in the AIF at Liverpool.
He embarked from Sydney in March 1916. He landed at Marseilles (France) in May. In July he was attached temporarily to the 2nd Army Workshops at Bailleul. In October he joined the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company, which historian David Dial says was ‘generally designated as the AE&MM&BCo., and better known as the “Alphabetical Company”.’ This specialised military unit, and the other tunnelling companies, engaged in underground warfare on the Western Front.
On 10th May 1917 William Fisher was seriously burnt and injured by heat in an accidental fire or explosion (for which he was not to blame) in the unit’s workshops in Hazebrouck. He was dmitted to hospital in Boulogne the next day. He died there of his injuries on 18th May 1917. He was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. He had married shortly before joining and a war pension was granted to his widow.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board