73166
ROSIE, William Gordon
| Service Number: | 257 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column |
| Born: | Jamestown, South Australia, 4 November 1893 |
| Home Town: | Jamestown, Northern Areas, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Jamestown Public School |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Died of Illness , Maristowe Private Hospital, Freeling, 4 March 1959, aged 65 years |
| Cemetery: |
Freeling General Cemetery, S.A. Row S, Plot 26 |
| Memorials: | Jamestown Presbyterian Church WW1 Honor Roll, Jamestown Soldier's Memorial Park Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 257, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' |
|
| 22 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 257, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Lincoln, Adelaide | |
| 21 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 257, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre | |
| 1 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 257, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre | |
| 20 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Battle for Pozières | |
| 5 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Bullecourt (First) | |
| 8 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Menin Road | |
| 10 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Broodseinde Ridge | |
| 5 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory | |
| 1 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, The Battle of Amiens | |
| 2 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 257, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line | |
| 22 Jan 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
"THE NOBLE EIGHT" - Our Boys for the Front – God speed and a safe return
Thank you to the works by Mrs Barbara I Parri (dec) and Mrs Kaye B Bottrall, from Jamestown, SA.
Colour-Sergeant W C (Claude) Burford (dec)
Private Colin Cameron (dec)
Private C A Tonquest (dec)
Lieutenant J J (Joe) Brooks
Private Jim Dawes
Private Stan Lambert
Private W G (Bill) Rosie
Private V R (Roy) Swann
First Party of Volunteers to join the AIF, after declaration of war with Germany 4 August 1914.
All these men served at Gallipoli and from there to Egypt and France. Three paid the supreme sacrifice and the remaining five men returned to Jamestown, South Australia.
Mentioned in the “Agriculturist & Review” newspaper – September 1914 (see picture) and 12/11/1914.
AU REVOIR 11 September 1914
“Our Boys for the Front – God speed and a safe return”
Local folk turned out enmasse on Monday morning, 7 September 1914, to give ‘Our Boys in Khaki’ a right royal send off. Almost the whole of the business places were closed until after the train, which bore our quota of heroes, had gone out of sight.
At about 9:30am residents of the town, of all ages, began to assemble at Victoria Square and about 10 o’clock the time fixed for the ceremony, there was a large and enthusiastic gathering including the school children. Willing workers had made the Square brighter with strings of bunting in which the grand old Union Jack predominated, whilst the band, under the leadership of Mr Barclay, enlivened the proceedings with a number of selections.
At 10:00am the Mayor Mr R E Humphris took his place on the trolly, and was accompanied by Ministers of Religion and other leading citizens with the soldiers for the front drawn up at the end as follows:-
Lieutenant J J (Joe) Brooks and Privates: V R (Roy) Swann, Jim Dawes, W G (Bill) Rosie, Colin Cameron and C A Tonquest with the B Squadron Australian Light Horse. Colonel Sergeant W C (Claude) Burford with the 12th Infantry and Private Stan Lambert with the 10th Infantry.
His worship said that they were gathered together for the purpose of saying goodbye to their boys who were going to Europe to help uphold the integrity and freedom of the Empire. They were boys of he good old Bull Dog Breed.
Lieutenant A D Mitchell, Officer Commander (OC) B Squadron 24th Light Horse, said he felt proud that the men from his squadron were going. The offer of Jamestown lads for the first contingent had been very pleasing and the boys had offered themselves with pleasure.
Other speeches and good wishes from Mr H Boucaut, Reverend W T Shapley and Reverend R A Adams. Cheers for the King and Empire, Joe and the other boys and Song of Australia.
The trolly was then commandeered for the ‘Boys in Khaki’ who were drawn by willing hands through the people, al of whom were eager to get close enough for a hearty handshake and a personal wish of good luck, so that progress was exceedingly slow until the Square was cleared. The band headed the march to the railway station playing ‘Songs of the Brave’.
At the station the boys met with right royal treatment until the train steamed out, when rousing cheers were again given in last efforts to cheer and strengthen the departing soldiers on their journey to honour.
Submitted 5 January 2015 by Julianne Ryan
Biography
Known as "Bill".
4/11/1893 born in Jamestown, South Australia
Sth Austn Births record - 1842 - 1906 Book: 532 Page: 279 District: Cla.
Father Donald ROSIE and Mother Mary (nee McCallum), living in Jamestown, SA.
Educated at Jamestown – with 6 of the “Original Eight”.
He played lacrosse for the local club.
On enlisting Bill was an Apprentice Carpenter, past 2 years, with D Rosey & Sons.
Previous service:
2 years 9 months with 24th Light Horse Regiment
Next of kin in service:
Brother #78 Sinclair Archibald B (‘Sinc’) Rosie
Second son of Donald and Mary Rosie
9th Light Horse Regiment
15/10/1916 died at Suez, Egypt – meningitis
** He left Australia in 1915, was at Gallipoli, then returned home sick.
July 1916 he returned to the front in Egypt, where he died from Meningitis.
Bill was one of the first to enlist from Jamestown – in 1914 with “the Noble Eight” as a Private.
Described on enlisting as 20 years 9 months old; single; 5' 9" tall; 126 lbs; sallow complexion;
grey eyes; brown hair; Presbyterian.
26/8/1914 Enlisted in Morphettville
26/8/1914 Commanding Officer appointed Bill to B Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment
22/10/1914 Embarked from Outer Harbour, Pt Adelaide on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln
as a Private with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment.
9/5/1915 Proceeded to join Mediterranean Expedtionary Forces, Gallipoli
He saw service through the Gallipoli campaign
2/9/1915 sick to hospital - entro colitis
10/9/1915 landed at Malta hospital ship Neuralia
16/10/1915 sick - All Saints Convalescent Camp, Malta
21/1/1916 fit for active service - embarked on HS Euripedes, ex Malta to Egypt
1/3/1916 taken on strength into 1st Light Horse Regiment, Heliopolos
11/3/1916 transferred to 2nd Division Ammunition Column , Zeitoun
taken on strength
20/3/1916 Embarked at Alexandria
27/3/1916 disembarked into Marseilles, France
In March 1916 the 2nd Division was the first division to move to France, taking over part of the "nursery" sector around Armentieres.
On 27/7/1916, it relieved the First Division at Pozieres and captured the Pozieres Heights at great cost.
Two more tours of the Somme followed in August and November 1916.
In March 1917 a flying column of the 2nd Division pursued the Germans to the Hindenburg Line.
At Lagnicourt on 15/4/1917, the 2nd Division struck by a powerful German counterattack, which it repelled.
On 3/5/1917 the Division assaulted the Hindenburg Line in the Second Battle of Bullecourt, holding the breach thus gained against furious counterattacks.
During the Third Battle of Ypres, it fought with great success at Menin Road in September and Broodeseinde in October.
7/8/1917 sick to hospital, in the field, France
30/8/1917 rejoined unit from hospital
21/9/1917 Leave, in England
12/10/1917 rejoined unit from leave
30/1/1918 sick to hospital, France
10/2/1918 Laryngitis, 10th Australian Field Ambulance, in the field
19/2/1918 9th Australian Field Ambulance
22/2/1918 rejoined unit - 2nd Division Ammunition Column
In March 1918 the 2nd Division helped halt the German offensive in the Somme region and fought in the Battle of Hamel in July and the Battle of Amiens in August.
In September 1918 the 2nd Division took Mont Saint Quentin by storm in one of the finest feats of fighting of the war. It fought on to the Hindenburg Line and beyond, becoming the last division to be withdrawn.
Under Gordon Sanders (late of Bundaleer), Bill was with this unit on the Western Front, until the War Office granted a request from Australia that “The Anzacs” who had served continuously from 1914-1918 be given 3 months leave, and allowed to return to Australia for that period.
18/9/1918 proceeded to Australia for leave, ex France
24/9/1918 Embarked for Australia on board Kasir-a-Hind ex Taranto
Bill was one of the first Anzacs to return home to Australia and before his leave expired,
Peace terms (the Armistice) were started and were finalised, which meant the Anzacs on
leave did not return to France.
23/11/1918 disembarked off Devon in Melbourne for Adelaide
22/1/1919 discharged from service
Total service: 4 years 153 days; (overseas 4 years 33 days)
Medals:
WWI 1914-15 (1332); British War medal (393) and Victory medal (594).
Through gas and shock, Bill did not return to his pre-war occupation and had poor health until his death.
Mentioned in the “Agriculturist & Review” newspaper – March 1959
4/3/1959 passed away at Maristowe Private Hospital, Freeling
- Funeral conducted by Reverend A Barnes, late of Yongala and members of the
Freeling RSL were pallbearers.
buried in: _____
Thank you to Mrs Barbara I Parri (dec) and Mrs Kaye B Bottrall, from Jamestown, SA, for their research.
Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 5/1/2015. Lest we forget.
Click images to start slideshow.