COLLINSON, William Thomas
| Service Number: | 6520 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 November 1915, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia, September 1897 |
| Home Town: | Irymple, Mildura Shire, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Vineyard labourer |
| Died: | Break down, Mont Park Asylum, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 July 1927 |
| Cemetery: |
Fawkner Memorial Park Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Beulah Memorial Gates, Mildura Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6520, 5th Field Company Engineers, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 6520, 5th Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 6520, 5th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Orsova, Sydney | |
| 19 May 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 14th Field Company Engineers | |
| 18 May 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sapper, 6520, 14th Field Company Engineers |
Help us honour William Thomas Collinson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
Son of William Collinson, Ettewonder Avenue, Irymple, Mildura, Victoria
From How We Served
Looking for the family of; - 6520 Sapper William Thomas Collinson of Irymple, Victoria who enlisted for War Service on the 17th of November 1915 and was allocated to reinforcements for the 5th Field Company Engineers 1st AIF.
William arrived in Egypt for further training on the 14th of April 1916 and from there he was embarked for France, arriving on the 15th of June. Whilst training at the ‘Bull Ring, Etaples William’s health broke down and after being hospitalised for pleurisy he contracted bronchitis and was sent to England for hospitalisation, arriving on the 7th of September.
After a period of convalesces, William was transferred to the 8th Field Company Engineers and was reembarked for France, arriving on the 8th of November 1917. After more then a week back in France, William was transferred to the 14th Field Company Engineers. Following the end of the War William was returned to England for disciplinary reasons on the 23rd of May 1919, and was finally repatriated to Australia, departing England on the 22nd of January 1920.
Following his return he received his official discharge from the 1st AIF on the 18th of May 1920. Re-entered into civilian life, William’s health broke down and by the 12th of July 1927 he was admitted into the Military Mental Asylum (Mont Park) where he died whilst in residence on the 23rd of July. a the age of 28 Following his death William was interred within Fawkner Cemetery, Victoria.
No official commemoration was availed William’s grave and to date his place of rest is still unmarked. William, on his enlistment, had cited that his next of kin was his father who was residing at Irymple, Victoria.
Click images to start slideshow.