HOWELL, William
| Service Number: | 3332 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 August 1915, Claremont, Tasmania |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Shepparton, Victoria, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Lilydale, Launceston, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farm labourer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 23 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Menin Road South Military Cemetery Plot III, Row J, Grave No. 20. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3332, Claremont, Tasmania | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3332, 24th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Commonwealth embarkation_ship_number: A73 public_note: '' | |
| 26 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3332, 24th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Commonwealth, Melbourne | |
| 23 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3332, 1st Pioneer Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3332 awm_unit: 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-23 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
The son of Rachel Howell of Lilydale, William was a 22-year-old labourer when he enlisted at Claremont and embarked with the 24th Battalion later transferring to the 1st Pioneer Battalion.
His younger brother, Lance Corporal Lonzie Edward Howell 26th Battalion AIF was killed in action on the 4 October 1917, aged 20.
William married May Elizabeth Childs on 18 Aug 1916, whilst in England after being wounded in Gallipoli. They met when he was recovering from his wounded shoulder in hospital. After he had recovered, he was sent to France and on to Ypres where he was mortally wounded and died a few days later at the age of 23 on 23 Oct 1917. On this day he was carrying planks the Pioneers were placing to make a corduroy road near Hellfire Corner at Zonnebeke. The enemy were shelling the position almost continually and Howell was mortally wounded by a shell burst which killed another man.
His daughter, Ada, was 10 months old, so he never saw his daughter. He is buried in Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.
The Australian Government paid for his wife, May, and Ada (a baby) after the war to travel to Australia to visit his home and his mother. May decided she did not want to stay in Australia and returned to England.
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