WILSON, Henry
| Service Number: | 421 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | St Peters (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
VC Corner Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France No Known Grave Panel No 4, VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Corporal, 421, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' |
|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 421, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 30 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Geelong | |
| 19 Jul 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Sergeant, 421, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 421 awm_unit: 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
Help us honour Henry Wilson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
A native of Sydney, Henry Wilson enlisted in Adelaide aged 32 years old He is listed on the St Peters War Memorial leading to the conclusion that he was resident in St Peters at the time of his enlistment, although he cited his NoK address, an uncle Mr JB Solly, of Glebe Point Rd in Sydney.
Despite no recorded previous military servie he was appointed to the rank of Corporal and assigned to the 32nd Battalion.
The 32nd Battalion (Headquarters, Signallers, A, B, C, and D Companies) embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on two ships, HMAT A2 'Geelong', on 18 November 1915, and HMAT A13 'Katuna', on 24 November 1915. He disembarked at Suez, on18 December 1915.
Henry Wilson saw war service in Egypt and then following hte re-organisation of the AIF,he embarked with the 32nd Battalion for service on the Western Front.
While assembling in Egypt as part of the 8th Brigade, Henry's record records the following
Found guilty, 19 December 1915, of neglect of duty: reprimanded.
Admitted to 15th Field Ambulance, 9 March 1916 (parotitis); transferred to 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital, 9 March 1916 (mumps); discharged to unit, and rejoined Bn, 22 March 1916.
Promoted Sergeant, Ferry Post, 26 May 1916.
Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.
Killed in action, 19 July 1916 in the attack at Fromelles. 32nd Battalion and the 8th Brigade were on the left flank of the attack and penetrated the German trench lines only to be cut off caught in enfilade fire and then repelled by German counter-attacks. Henry was one of the many cut down by the cyclone of German machine gun fire that swept the ranks of he attacking Battalions and he was lost in the confusion and carnage of the battlefield. His body was never identified.
He is commemorated at VC Corner cemetery in which there are no individual graves.
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Click images to start slideshow.