MCCONNELL, William James Norwood
| Service Number: | 4181 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 July 1915, Bendigo, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 57th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Brighton, Victoria, Australia, 12 July 1867 |
| Home Town: | Barham, Wakool, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Brighton Grammar School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Hotel Keeper (Gunbower) |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 22 July 1916, aged 49 years |
| Cemetery: |
Calais Southern Cemetery, France Calais Southern Cemetery, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4181, Bendigo, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4181, 21st Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4181, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4181, 57th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), GSW (back) | |
| 22 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4181, 57th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4181 awm_unit: 57 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-22 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Son
McCONNELL, Lce. Cpl. William James, 4184. 57th Bn. 2nd April, 1917. Age 19. Son of William James Norwood and Agnes Mary McConnell (nee McGowan). Born at Barham, New South Wales. Villers Bretonneux – France. Eliza McConnell of 2 Chavasse St.Brighton is stepmother on ROH.
William James Norwood McConnell and his son William James McConnell both enlisted in late 1915. They both left Australia with the 10th reinforcements to the 21st Battalion on the 7th March, 1916, and both men were transferred to the 57th Battalion, AIF, and given very close regimental numbers.
The father, William James Norwood McConnell, gave his age as 44 years and two months in July 1915, and he was very badly wounded by a piece of shrapnel or a bullet to the back, during the attack at Fromelles on the 20th July, 1916. Although he got back as far as a hospital in Calais on the French side of the English Channel, he succumbed to his wounds on the 22nd July, and is buried in the Calais Southern Cemetery, France. His wife, Eliza McConnell, living at Brighton, Victoria, stated on his Roll of Honour circular that he was 50 years of age at the time of his death, and that both father and son were chiefly connected with the township of Barham, in northern Victoria. William was also the father of four other younger children, all of whom were granted a pension.
His son, William James, enlisted barely 2 days after celebrating his 18th birthday and his father gave a signed letter of consent for him to do so. They both transferred to the 57th Battalion on the same day in Egypt, 20th April, 1916. During the terrible mauling the 57th Battalion suffered from German machine guns in front of Fromelles, William was also very badly wounded, with shrapnel wounds to the jaw, wrist and abdomen, but he recovered to rejoin the battalion in August 1916.
He was made a Lance Corporal on the 20th September 1916 before he was killed in action on the 2nd April 1917. The almost identical names and closeness of regimental numbers seemed to cause some confusion in the settling of their affairs with relatives.
Both father and son were badly wounded at Fromelles, the father dying of his wounds a few days later, and it is noted that two other father and sons in the AIF died during this battle, along with 25 pairs of brothers.
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