Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On the 16th of September, 1882, Isabella Reddaway gave birth to a baby boy in Bramfield, South Australia, he was named William George.

William became a farmer before he enlisted into the war at the age of thirty-two years and eight months in 1916. William could have waited two years after the outbrek of war until enlisting for many reasons, he may not have been able to leave his farm or he may not have wanted to join. To my knowledge, William did not bring any family to Orroroo when he arrived to enlist.

William was recorded to be half an inch off being six feet tall when he enlisted and was ranked as Private William George Reddaway of the 10th Battalion.

On the 25th of August, 1916, William embarked at Adelaide per the S.S. A68 “Anchisis” on to England to train to become battle ready in Dover, England. During his training, William fell ill and was sent to a hospital in Brimstone, therefore missing the 10th Battalion’s departure to France. When he recovered, he proceeded to France per the S.S. “Golden Eagle” and joined the 27th Battalion on the 18th of December, 1916. Reaching Etaples, William was in the trenches for less than a month, among men whom he had never met before, with little success on gaining ground. William was surrounded by dirt, misery and death with the constant fear dying in his mind, most people would not even dream of such a terrible place. William's Battalion left Etaples after being there for a month and went back to base to take on strength and regroup.

On the 24th of August, 1917 William was absent from a Parade at Dover for reasons unknown and was then awarded 3 days punishment. On the 1st of September 1917, William was detached for duty to the 7th Infantry, Brigade Snipers, in France. On the battlefield, the snipers were vital to keeping No Mans Land clear of the enemy, they stayed in trees and picked off the enemy when going into battle. William was then recorded away without leave (AWL) on the 2nd of September, 1918 and then was found three days later, no punishment was given as he had a valid reason. On the 4th of January, 1919, William re-joined the brigade after his absence. His brigade then proceeded to England. They embarked on the Lamflon in France and they arrived on the 27th of April, 1919.

On the 19th of June, 1919, William boarded the ship, 'Miltiades' that took him back home to Australia. While on the ship William was treated for scabies. Scabies is where mites bury into your skin leaving it red, inflamed and itchy much like a rash.

 He arrived in Adelaide on the 6th of August 1919, healthy with no marks or scars and luckily no disability. He was discharged on the 21st of September, 1919 from Morchard, South Australia. William soon had a farm around five miles away from Willowie, South Australia. He married the  Amy Ethel Jasper on 16th of March, 1921 in a Methodist Church, Morchard, SA, Australia. They had five children, Donald Jasper in 1922, Ross William in 1923, Lila Joy in 1925, Basil Kingsford in 1929 and the youngest, Lawrence Rodney (Laurie) in 1930. There is one known grandchild, he was a son of Lila Joy named John Dean.

Both William and Amy went by their second names George and Ethel. On his farm, William had all of his children help do jobs like feeding the chickens and turkeys and making sure all the machinery was well oiled and ready for use. Williams’s livestock usually consisted of horses, dairy cows, chickens, turkeys and he had crops.

William died in the Orroroo hospital at the age of seventy six in 1958 surrounded by his family and friends. He was buried at the Orroroo Cemetery in the RSL Section.