COLE, William
| Service Number: | 466 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia , date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Maryborough, Central Goldfields, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed In Action during the raid on Celtic Wood , Belgium, 9 October 1917, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Maryborough War Memorial, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 466, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 466, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 8 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 466, 10th Infantry Battalion, Raid on Celtic Wood, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 466 awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-10-08 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Kearney
Raid on Celtic Wood
466 Sergeant William Cole from Maryborough, Victoria was a labourer residing at Clarence Park, South Australia when he enlisted. He was an original member of the battalion who had served at Gallipoli and been wounded in action at Mouquet Farm in August 1916 and again at Le Barque in February 1917.
Sergeant ‘King Cole’ as he became known throughout the battalion was in the field as acting CSM of C Company and was the most senior NCO on the raid. Credible witness statements in his Red Cross file. Private Rhodes MM, C Company. - ‘Wm Cole was with me. It was in the early morning on the 8th [sic] Oct. we made a daylight raid on Celtic Wood. Cole was a Sergeant and he was to give the signal when to return. I saw him put up a flare and immediately afterwards I saw him shot and he fell dead. I was about 10 yards off him. I think his body would probably be buried by the 32 Battn, which relieved us’.
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