Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harley Victor Williams was born in August 1892 to Rhoda Mary Williams and Richard Clement. He was born in Nhill, Victoria but moved to 178 Young Street, Unley, South Australia. Before the war he worked as a painter. At the time of his enlistment, he was 22 years and 7 months old. He was single with no children. He was Presbyterian, standing at 5 feet 7 inches and weighing 141 lbs. He was described as having dark skin, blue eyes and dark hair. Williams enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 20th of March 1915.

He embarked in June 1915 on the HMAT Kanowna A61, a ship owned by the Australian United Steam Navigation Company, used to transport sick and wounded troops throughout the first world war. On this ship, he was transported to Egypt where he completed desert training with the 10th Battalion.

On the 11th of September 1915 he proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (M.E.F) at Gallipoli where he was issued with a British manufactured SMLE rifle. Months after this, on the 26th of February 1916, Harley Williams was transferred to the 50th Battalion. He embarked for the Western Front from Alexandria on the 5th of June arriving in Marseilles on the 12th of June 1916

At the end of this year, on the 17th of December he was hospitalised with laryngitis, rejoining his unit on the 3rd January. Over a year after joining the 50th Battalion, on the 4th of April 1917, while in Noreuil, France and when attacking the Hindenburg line, Williams received a gunshot wound to the back and was transported to the 3rd London General Hospital in Wadsworth, London for treatment.  This same wound was listed initially as a shrapnel would on the 2nd of April 1917. After his recovery on the 18th of July 1917, he had appeared in an untidy condition (he was unshaven) and had been given 2 days of punishment. A year after this incident, on the 22nd of November 1918 he was again sent to the hospital for problems related to his previous gunshot wound. After the war ended on the 25th of April 1919, Harley Williams returned to South Australia on the HMHS Nevasa.  

There's very little information about Harley William's life after the war. He married Violet Clara Williams and his mother Rhoda Mary Williams passed away on the 17th of February 1944. 4 years later in 1948 Harley Victor Williams passed away. He died in Adelaide and is buried in the West Terrace Cemetery. His name is also included on the Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board.