WATT, Joseph William
Service Number: | 1457 |
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Enlisted: | 30 October 1914, Enlisted at Liverpool NSW At the time of enlistment he gave his age as 22 years when in fact he was just over 16 years of age |
Last Rank: | Private |
Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
Born: | Gore, Olago, New Zealand, 1898 |
Home Town: | Balmain, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
Schooling: | Timarue School, New Zealdn |
Occupation: | Seaman |
Died: | Killed in Action, Dardenelles, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 17 May 1915 |
Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial Panel 15 Originally buried at Valley of Death but grave could not be not be relocated Rev. McKenzie officiated, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing |
World War 1 Service
30 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1457, 1st Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Liverpool NSW At the time of enlistment he gave his age as 22 years when in fact he was just over 16 years of age | |
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11 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 1457, 1st Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Bee embarkation_ship_number: A48 public_note: '' | |
11 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 1457, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Bee, Sydney |
Wee Willie
Born in Southland, New Zealand, "Wee Willie" is remembered on his parents headstone in Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand. He had left his parents farm in 1911 to join the "Amokura", a Nea Zealand training ship, and entered the merchant marine. Soon after the outbreak of WW1, he enlisted in Melbourne, Australia.
His parents only learned of his enlistment when they received notice that he had been killed in action.
William Joseph Watt was 17 years and 10 months old at his death.
Submitted 5 January 2019 by Paul Phillips
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Arrived in Australia aged 16 and a half years
Son of Joseph and Mary Watt of Timarue, NZ
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal