CANTWELL, William
| Service Number: | 4992 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 July 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Thebarton, South Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Christian Brothers College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Pipe-layer |
| Died: | 6 December 1964, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia Section: KO, Road: 23A, Site No: 47 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Christian Brothers' College WW1 Roll of Honor, Flinders Park Staff of the South Australian Gas Company Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, A37 Barambah | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick, South Australia | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4992, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4992, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Barambah, Melbourne | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Transferred Private, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Transferred from 27th Infantry Battalion to 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 17 Jun 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4992, Gunshot wound on left wrist | |
| 10 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 4992, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Glenunga International High School
Cantwell William, a Roman Catholic, was born in 1893 (approx.) in a town called Thebarton. Previous to the war, he lived with his biological mother, Elizabeth Cantwell, in Southwark, South Australia. There is no information on his father. His occupation was a pipe layer. Cantwell got his education at Christian Brothers College in Adelaide. He had no previous military service before the war.
Cantwell enlisted on 18th July 1915 at Keswick, South Australia when he was 22 (almost 23) years old. In Melbourne, he embarked on board A37 Barambah, formerly a German ship, on 27th June 1916, a part of the 27th Battalion. (Australian War Memorial, n.d.) From there, he went to Egypt and trained for two months before heading to Gallipoli in September. Whilst in Gallipoli, Cantwell was found guilty of overstaying leave a received 168 hours of detention and 10 days’ forfeiture of pay. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
Then he was transferred to the 7th Training Battalion and proceeded to France on 29th September 1916. On the 1st October 1916, he marched into 2nd Australian Division Base Depot, Etaples. Cantwell was once more, transferred to 32nd Battalion on the 15th October the same year. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
Though Cantwell wasn’t majorly affected, he received general shrapnel wounds on his neck and left leg on 22nd November 1916. He was admitted to No. 38 casualty clearing then transferred to No. 2 General Hospital on the 23rd. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.) On 29th January the following year, he was discharged to Furlough and marched into No. 1 Command depot on the 28th February.
Cantwell was transferred multiple times from 70th Battalion to 69th Draft Battalion to 32nd Battalion then finally, proceeded to France as part of the 8th Training Battalion on 14th October 1917. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
On 2nd of March 1918, Cantwell was tried by the General Court Martial on charges of 1)deserting His Majesty’s Service and 2)absenting himself without leave. He was found guilty of charge 2 and received 28 days worth of field punishment and forfeiture of 52 days of pay. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
Cantwell was once again tried by the General Court Martial for deserting His Majesty’s Service on 30th May 1918. This time, he was found guilty and received another 90 days of field punishment as well as forfeiture of 106 days’ pay. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
On 17th June 1918, Cantwell was yet again, injured in action with a general shrapnel wound in his left wrist. He was admitted to Number 15 Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to Number 61 Casualty Clearing Station, and then on the Number 27 Ambulance Train, he arrived at Number 5 General Hospital, Rouen. He went to England on the 18th June and arrived at the Military Hospital in Woking on the 19th of the same month. He was then sent to the first Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, on the 20th. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
Cantwell was discharged to Furlough on the 26th August in the same year. Then, he went to No. 1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny on the 9th September. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
On the 13th February 1919, he disembarked Fremantle and returned to Australia on board HT Saxon. Cantwell was discharged in Adelaide from the army on 10th April 1919 as medically unfit and not due to misconduct. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.)
Cantwell’s total war service was 3 years and 303 days, including 2 years and 235 days he spent abroad. He earned a British War Medal as well as a Victory Medal. (Australian Imperial Force, n.d.; National Archives (Australia), n.d.). William Cantwell passed away on the 6th December 1964 when he was approximately 71 years of age. He is buried at the West Terrace Cemetery. (Billion Graves, n.d.; Adelaide Cemeteries Authority, n.d.)
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