WOODGER, Joseph
| Service Number: | 2823 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Surbiton, Surrey, England , 1887 |
| Home Town: | Prospect, Prospect, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Bricklayer |
| Died: | Double Pneumonia complicating Influenza, Military Hospital, Fovant, Wiltshire, England , 31 October 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Fovant (St. George) Churchyard, Wiltshire - South West, England |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2823, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2823, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide | |
| 31 Oct 1918: | Involvement Gunner, 2823, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2823 awm_unit: 10 Battery Australian Field Artillery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1918-10-31 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 31st October…… Joseph Woodger was born at Surbiton, Surrey, England to parents John & Mary A Woodger (nee Kelly). His birth was registered in the March quarter of 1887.
He married Alice Maud Cann on the December quarter, 1908 in the district of Kingston, Surrey, England.
Joseph Woodger, Bricklayer, aged 25 & his wife Clara, aged 21, & their son Henry, aged 2, were passengers on the Indarra which departed from the port of London on 23rd November, 1912. The Woodger family were destined for the port of Adelaide, South Australia.
A birth was registered in the district of Hindmarsh, South Australia in 1913 for John Thomas Woodger, son of Joseph & Alice Maude Woodger (nee Cann).
On 28th June, 1915 Joseph Woodger enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 29 year old, married (with 2 children), Bricklayer from 7 Clifton Street, Prospect, South Australia. He stated on his Attestation Papers that he had previously been rejected as unfit for His Majesty’s Service due to his height – under 5ft 4” for A.I.F. Joseph Woodger was 5ft 2 ½ inches tall.
Private Joseph Woodger, Service number 2823, embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Star of England (A15) on 21st September, 1915 & disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt. (Casualty Form – Active Service states 29th December, 1915) He was taken on strength of Battalion from Reinforcements at Mudros on 25th November, 1915.
On 26th February, 1916 Private Woodger was transferred to 50th Battalion from 10th Battalion at Serapeum. He was taken on strength of 50th Battalion on 27th February, 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir.
He was transferred to 4th Field Artillery & taken on strength of 24th Howitzer Brigade as Gunner on 14th March, 1916. He was posted to 111th Battery the same day.
Gunner Woodger proceeded to join British Expeditionary Force from Alexandria on 3rd June, 1916 & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 13th (?) June, 1916.
On 25th January, 1917 Gunner Woodger was transferred to 10th Field Artillery Brigade & was taken on strength of 10th F.A.B. & posted to 39th Battery the same day.
He was reported to be with his Unit on 2nd June, 1918. (This usually was recorded when no movements had been recorded for a period of time on a soldier’s Casualty Form – Active Service. No previous details recorded since 25th January, 1917).
Gunner Joseph Woodger was wounded in action in France on 13th August, 1918. He was taken to 1st Australian Field Ambulance with shrapnel wounds to right thigh then transferred to 55th Casualty Clearing Station. Gunner Woodger was admitted to 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen, France on 15th August, 1918 & shortly after was invalided to UK.
On 18th August, 1918 Gunner Woodger was admitted to Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol with shell wounds to right thigh. He was transferred to No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on 9th September, 1918. Gunner Woodger was discharged to furlo from 1st October, 1918 to 15th October, 1918 & was then to report to No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire. Later Training & Convalescing Units were combined under the one Command Depot.
He was marched in to No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 15th October, 1918.
On 22nd October, 1918 Gunner Woodger was admitted to Military Hospital at Fovant, Wiltshire with Influenza.
Gunner Joseph Woodger died on 31st October, 1918 at Military Hospital, Fovant, Wiltshire, England from Double Pneumonia complicating Influenza.
He was buried in St George’s Churchyard, Fovant, Wiltshire, England where 43 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/h---w.html
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