URQUHART, William
| Service Number: | 5524 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 December 1915, Enlisted at Townsville, QLD |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 August 1881 |
| Home Town: | Winton, Winton, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Billiard Marker |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 3 May 1958, aged 76 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld ANZ 9 area, Row 2, Grave 10. |
| Memorials: | Winton & District Roll of Honour WW1, Winton Methodist Church Roll of Honour, Winton Waltzing Matilda Centre Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5524, 15th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Townsville, QLD | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5524, 15th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hawkes Bay embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 20 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5524, 15th Infantry Battalion, SS Hawkes Bay, Sydney | |
| 1 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5524, 15th Infantry Battalion, Wounds to the right arm and leg. on 18 August 1916 he embarked HS Panama for England | |
| 7 Nov 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5524, 15th Infantry Battalion, Discharged at the 1st Military District as wounded |
Help us honour William Urquhart's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Husband of Grace Elizabeth Urquhart nee King of Winton, QLD. William and Grace were married in QLD on 3 June 1911.
Commenced return to Australia on 27 July 1917 aboard HT Demosthenes
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Australian World War One veteran Lance Corporal William Urquhart (Service No. 5524), is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 16 May 2026, along with a further 185 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
Lance Corporal William Urquhart was born on 12 August 1881 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He married Grace Elizabeth King in Winton, Queensland on 3 June 1911.
William enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 4 December 1915, at the age of 34. He recorded his trade or calling as a billiard marker. and his next of kin was his wife, Mrs G. E. Urquhart, of Winton. He embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT SS Hawkes Bay on 20 April 1916.
After arriving overseas, William served with the 15th Battalion in France. On 1 July 1916, he was appointed Lance Corporal. On 7 August 1916, William was wounded in action in France. His records state that he suffered gunshot wounds to his right arm and leg, with later records also mentioning wounds to his back, arm, leg, foot, hand and right scapula.
On 18 August 1916, he embarked on the hospital ship Panama at Havre for England for treatment, and was admitted to the 1st London General Hospital on 19 August 1916. His casualty records later noted that he was progressing favourably and was convalescent.
Due to his wounds, William was returned to Australia for discharge. He embarked from England on 27 July 1917 aboard HMAT Demosthenes, and was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 7 November 1917, medically unfit due to wounds received during his service. After his discharge, he was granted a 50% pension.
His wounds made it difficult for him to return to steady work. Before enlistment, he had been a billiard marker, but after the war he tried several kinds of employment, including work in an aerated-water factory, as a traveller, shearer, and later as a fruit hawker and dealer. He appealed his pension, explaining that he could not earn enough to support his wife and three children.
Medical reports continued to record weakness in his right arm, pain and stiffness in his left foot, and a limp. He also developed ongoing chest and heart problems, including shortness of breath, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchitis, emphysema and a mitral systolic murmur. His pension was reduced in 1924, but increased again in 1925 when his chest condition worsened.
Lance Corporal William Urquhart died on 3 May 1958, aged 76, and was buried in Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. After his death, his widow, Grace, applied for war widow’s benefits, but the Repatriation Board decided that his death was not attributable to war service.
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
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