STETTLER, William
| Service Number: | VX14026 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 May 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, 13 July 1919 |
| Home Town: | Parramatta, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 4 May 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX14026, 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 1942: | Imprisoned Stalag V111B, later called Stalag 344 Documents note arrived UK 19/5/1945 | |
| 30 Aug 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX14026, 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion |
William's Court Marshal
In March 2022 I examined the file of William Stettler's Court Marshal.
He was court marshaled on 8th April 1941 in Amiriya, Egypt. Below is an extract of the finding:
The court find that the accused VX14026 Pte Stettler. W. of the 2/7th Aus Inf Batn A.I.F. is not guilty of the charge:
When on active service conduct to prejudice of good order and military discipline in that he made a disturbance in the Diana Caberet in Alexandria at 0130 hrs on 29th March 1941 by fighting with Australian soldiers in the said Diana Cabaret.
AA Sec 40.
Reading through the submited evidence, it appears that William was in a fight, the MP's thought he had started the fight, but William had several of his fellow soldiers willing to testify that he had just stepped in to stop the fight.
Why he was court marshaled, and not just given KP and pay docked for a period of time I do not know.
Barbara Kernos.
Submitted 9 April 2022 by Barbara Krnos
Biography contributed by Barbara Krnos
William was the son of Iabella Stettler, his father's name was William but surname is unknown. His Uncles served in WW1. Nothing further is known of William, no death information as so far been found.