GRILLS, William James
| Service Number: | 7313 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 April 1917, Bendigo |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | South Brent, Plymouth, Devonshire, England, June 1893 |
| Home Town: | Cohuna, Gannawarra, Victoria |
| Schooling: | South Brent, Devonshire, England |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Appendicitis, Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny , United Kingdom, 25 May 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Sutton Veny (St. John) Churchyard, Wiltshire, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cohuna State School Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Apr 1917: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), Sapper, 7313, Tunnelling Companies, Bendigo | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 7313, Tunnelling Companies, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 4 Aug 1917: | Embarked Sapper, 7313, Tunnelling Companies, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 25 May 1919: | Involvement Sapper, 7313, 13th Field Company Engineers, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 7313 awm_unit: 13th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1919-05-25 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
William James GRILLS was born in South Bunt, Brent, Plymouth, Devonshire, England in 1893
His parents were Walter Parnell GRILLS and Phillipa LAMBLE
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 25th May......Sapper William James Grills was born at South Brent, Plymouth, Devonshire, England in 1893. William (aged 20) emigrated to Australia with his mother & siblings, arriving at the port of Brisbane, Queensland on 15th January, 1914. His father had arrived in April, 1912 at Brisbane but was headed for Melbourne, Victoria.
William Grills enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 11th April, 1917 as a 24 year old Labourer from Mead, Cohuna, Victoria. He had previously been rejected for service due to his eyesight.
Private Grills had been posted with Tunnelling Companies but was transferred to Miners Reinforcements in June, 1917 in Victoria as his eyesight was considered “defective” & he was unfit for infantry, he was then given the rank of Sapper.
Sapper Grills arrive din England for further training in October, 1917 & was transferred to Engineers Details on 7th November, 1917. He arrived in France & joined 13th Field Company Engineers on 9th February, 1918.
The War had ended & Sapper Grills was marched out to UK for non-military employment from Havre, France on 9th April, 1919. He disembarked at Southampton, England on 10th April, 1919 & was to report to Sutton Veny, Wiltshire.
Sapper Grills was marched in to No. 2 Camp, 2 Group at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England from France on 10th April, 1919.
Sapper William James Grills died at 10.45 a.m. on 25th May, 1919 at the 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny of Appendicitis. He was buried in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England where 140 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/f---j.html
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