Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Joseph Lake was born on the 13th of February 1895. He was one of Henry Lake and Julia Marry's (nee Budge) 14 children, 5 of which did not make it past childhood. Growing up William had been through cadet training as at the time it was compulsory for boys aged between 14 and 17. On one occasion, when he was 17, he had been charged with missing the minimum hours required and had been brough in front of the Adelaide Police Court. He was then fined 15 shillings and was told he would have to make up for the 20 hours missed within the next to months. Henry had taught William the skills of bricklaying growing up. As school was not mandatory growing up he made a living by applying the skills his father had taught him. As the time the war came about he was only 19 and had to seek permission to go and fight. Both of his parents had worries about their son enlisting but eventually signed away the permission slip and on the 5th of September 1914 he enlisted for the Australian Army.

He was then known as Private William Joseph Lake, service number 572, part of the 12th Battalion, 3rd brigade.  He then travelled down to Morphettville racecourse for his training. Unfortunately, a little under two weeks into his training he received the dreadful information that his father had passes away abruptly. The funeral flew by fast for William as soon he was to be shipped off. On the 20th of October 1914, the men of the 12th battalion were boarded the HMAT Geelong to Alexandria. Once arriving in Alexandria, the 12th Battalion was joined by many more Australian forces. There they trained up more, readying them for when the signal came through that they were heading off to war.

Soon it was the 12th Battalion's turn to get sent off. They were going to take part in the landing of Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915. William took part in the landing but at some point in those first few days, when communications on the beach were very poor, he was wounded in both feet. The wound was severe: he was evacuated to a hospital ship for several weeks and then sent to England. At the end of July William had eventually made it to England after and eventful journey. He was admitted to a hospital but was informed there was not much that they could do for him. He was told all he could do was rest. From the hospital he was moved to the Harefield house in Middlesex. The owners Mr and Mrs Charles Billyard-Leake were Australians living in England and had offered their home and outbuildings to the defence force. It was used as a home for convalescing soldiers. He was admitted on the 20th of September 1915. He had waited for his foot to heal but no progress was made. Eventually he was told he had to go back home and packed up on the 7th of November and He was upset that he had to leave everyone behind with such little impact on the war. It had been 6 months since he had been injured and he still had to rely on crutches.

At the time of enlistment, he had been a perfect able young man eager to fight for Australia, now he is only a ghost of his former self. He was frustrated when he heard the news the Aussies were pulling out of Gallipoli as he thought about all those young men’s lives lost for no progress at all, then again thinking about his life changing injury. But all in all, he was fortunate to be alive and felt lucky that he walked away with what he did. On the 18th of December he was admitted to the 7th Australian General Hospital in Keswick and the final decision was made on the 25th of February that he was unfit to fight, and he was soon discharged. From then William’s journey in the army had ended. Now being 21 he set out for the rest of his life. One of these being Robert Lake. He then married Carmel Lake and together had 5 children, Susan, Helen, Caroline, Diane, and Anne. By this time William had passed away on the 22nd of September 1961, at the age of 66. From their Susan got married to a man named John, who then together had my mother and from then had me. That was the story of my great great grandfather William Joseph Lake.

Discharged 25 Feb 1916 (suffering GSW to both feet)