Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Australian Remembrance Army

Private William Nelson Rankin, an Australian veteran of both World Wars, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with a plaque recognising their service for Australia.

We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 15 April 2023, along with a further 246 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page

WWI: 3657, Private, 47th Battalion

WWII: Q89182, Private, QLD Lines of Communication General Duties Depot

William Nelson Rankin was born on 19 July 1897 in Rockhampton, Qld, to William Rankin and Kathleen May Rankin (nee McSharry).

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 26 March 1917 at Brisbane, aged nineteen years and seven months. Following initial training in Australia, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Miltiades on 2 August 1917 for overseas service. After further training in England, he proceeded to France in January 1918 and was taken on strength of the 47th Battalion on the Western Front. Rankin entered active combat service during a period of intense trench warfare and sustained prolonged exposure to front-line conditions. In late April 1918 he was wounded in action (gassed), with subsequent medical records clearly identifying mustard gas as the agent involved. His injuries were severe, and he was admitted through a series of casualty clearing stations and field hospitals in France before being evacuated to England.

During May 1918 he was hospitalised at Fulham Military Hospital, St Dunstan’s Road, Hammersmith, where he was officially recorded as “shell gassed – severe.” In addition to the physical effects of gas exposure, Rankin developed neurasthenia, a recognised war-related nervous condition frequently associated with chemical warfare, prolonged shellfire and front-line trauma. His condition resulted in repeated hospital admissions and rendered him unfit for further operational service. After several months of treatment in England, he was classified as an invalid and returned to Australia in October 1918. On 25 February 1919 he was formally discharged from the Australian Imperial Force as medically unfit for further service, his disability directly attributed to wounds and illness sustained on active service.

More than twenty years later, despite the lasting effects of his First World War injuries, Rankin again volunteered for military service during the Second World War. He enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces in Queensland in June 1942, aged forty-four. His enlistment papers record his previous AIF service and medical discharge, and his age and medical history resulted in employment in home-based and training roles rather than overseas service. Throughout his Second World War service he experienced recurring medical problems, leading to repeated hospital admissions, medical reviews and a gradual downgrading of his medical classification.

These ongoing health issues, consistent with the long-term effects of his earlier war injuries, ultimately prevented him from continuing effective military duty. On 18 January 1945 William Nelson Rankin was discharged from the Citizen Military Forces as medically unfit for service, bringing to an end a military career that spanned both world wars and was marked by voluntary service, combat injury from chemical warfare, and enduring physical and nervous disability.

Private William Nelson Rankin died on 27 November 1945, aged 48, and was buried Anzac Portion 7, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. He was unmarried with 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.