DUNSTAN, William Arthur
| Service Number: | 61 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 February 1915, at Keswick |
| Last Rank: | Shoeing-Smith |
| Last Unit: | 6th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Clare, South Australia, January 1880 |
| Home Town: | Reynella, Onkaparinga, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farrier |
| Died: | 15 July 1963, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 61, 27th Infantry Battalion, at Keswick | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement Driver, 61, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked Driver, 61, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 5 Dec 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, Australian Army Service Corps | |
| 19 Mar 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Shoeing-Smith, 6th Field Artillery Brigade |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Before the war
William Arthur Dunstan was born in January in the year 1880 in Clare, South Australia. Before the war began, he was a farrier, who is also known as a smith that shoes horses. Being a farrier, to not be confused with a blacksmith, is someone that creates horses shoes and needs simple blacksmith training to get into this occupation. William Arthur Dunstan was married without children before the war but on his gravestone, it does say “Loving father of Irene, Pearl and Lillian". William had a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. He was 5.1 ½ feet tall (161 cm) with a weight of 174lbs (78.9251kg) and had previous military service in the militia. William's next of kin was his wife, Margret Dunstan and had no record of any siblings being a part of the war.
Life in service
William Arthur Dunstan signed up to participate in the war at the Keswick Barracks. He travelled to England and for 1916 and 1917 served in the Army Service Corps, both in France and Britain. In early 1918 he moved to the 6th Field Artillery Brigade. William was repeatedly ill throughout the war and in 1918 suffered from influenza. After returning to Australia he was dismissed nearly a year after the war ended, on 11.8.1919.
After the War
William Dunstan died on 15th July 1963 at the age of 83 years old. William died at Springbank but was buried at west Terrace Cemetery.