PERKINS, William Taylor
| Service Numbers: | 1385, 183 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 August 1914, Thursday Island, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 10 February 1894 |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Toowoomba Grammar School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 30 April 1915, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Quinn's Post Cemetery, ANZAC Row A, Grave No. 5, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cairns Cenotaph, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 Honour Board, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 In Memoriam Honour Board, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba St James' M2, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Aug 1914: | Enlisted Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Forces (New Guinea 1914), Private, 1385, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Naval and Military Forces - Special Tropical Corps, Thursday Island, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 1914: | Discharged Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Forces (New Guinea 1914), Private, 1385, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Naval and Military Forces - Special Tropical Corps, Did not participate in the capture of German New Guinea | |
| 28 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 183, Townsville, Queensland | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 183, 15th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 183, 15th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 30 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 183, 15th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 183 awm_unit: 15th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1915-04-30 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Trevor
Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force.
In August 1914, 1385 Private William Taylor Perkins was mobilised for War Service with the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) to take part in the capture of German held New Guinea. Private Perkins embarked from Cairns on the 8 August 1914 for Thursday Island, (War Station) Garrison Duty.
This action was short lived as the troops who re-embarked on the 'Kanowna' at Thursday Island for New Guinea on 16 August returned to the Port of Townsville two days later due to the trouble caused by the crew on this troopship. It is believed that there had been no consultation about whether or not they wished to participate in possible military action and as a result there was considerable discontentment amongst the crew on board.
Private William Perkins did not play a part in the capture of German held New Guinea and was discharged on the 18 September 1914 from the AN&MEF. Private William Perkins service for this action lasted a little longer than four weeks.
'PERSONAL NOTES.
Private W. T. Perkins was the stepson of Mr. Arthur Walker, now with the N.Z.L. and M.A. Company, and formerly of the Royal Hotel Toowoornba. Willie Perkins, as the young soldier was known to his friends was the type of young man of which Queenslanders are proud. He was only 20 years of age, and had a promising career before him. When the war broke out he was in the Bank of North Queensland at Cairns, and at once volunteered tor the New Guinea Expedition with a number of his mates. They went on the Kanowna, and when the stokers shirked, took on shovelling coal in the stokehold back to Townsville.
Afterwards W. T. Perkins pressed his mother and stepfather for permission to join the Australian Expeditionary Force, and he was attached to the 15th Battalion. Some of his Cairns chums have been with him right through the war, both on the Kanowna in Egypt, and at the Dardanelles. Private Perkins was very popular, and had a large circle of friends, who will sympathise with his parents in their bereavement.' from The Brisbane Courier 1 Jun 1915 (nla.gov.au)
'CENTRAL QUEENSLANDERS.
KILLED, WOUNDED, OR MISSING.
Private W. T. Perkins of the Fifteenth Battalion, who is reported to have been killed in action, was a son of the late Mr. C. E. Perkins, Governor Blackall Hotel, Toowoomba, and a nephew of Mr. J. H. Perkins, of Walterhall, Mount Morgan.' from The Capricornian 12 Jun 1915 (nla.gov.au)
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