Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Patrick Warren was born in March 1894 on the grounds of the home 12 Reynolds St Rosewater, Port Adelaide, Australia. He lived with his father William Patrick Warren as his mother had died from childbirth. On 31st August 1914,  William ventured to Morphettville to enlist for the war and leave his old occupation as a labourer. Throughout the next 50 days he was examined to ensure he fit the requirements. On the 20th of October 1914 he and the 3rd Brigade departed on the Ascanius, to arrive at Egypt, Maadi and begin training.

6 months later on the 2nd of March 1915 William Patrick Warren was released from training and sent to join the 10th Battalion. The first major fight the 10th Battalion was a part of was the Gallipoli campaign. It was 2:00am on the 25th of April 1915, William was sailing on a boat under the cover of darkness, the shooting soon began after they reached shore, him and his wave forcefully moved up ANZAC Cove under the hail of gunfire, at around 4:00am to capture high ground which was the First and Second Ridge and later Hill 971. By the time it was 11:00am the ANZAC’s reached the furthest they will there as an earlier request for immediate evacuation had been denied by General Sir Ian Hamilton, William was sentenced to the next 8 months in bloody warfare in treacherous conditions (ABC, 2018).

After evacuating Gallipoli on 15th of December 1915, William Patrick Warren was sent to Tel el Kebir, Egypt to deploy. In late January 1916 William rejoined the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) which led him to Alexandria to begin training for the Western Front. After 3 intense months of military training William was sent to the Western Front to fight alongside French soldiers. On the 23rd of July 1916 William Patrick fought in the Battle of Pozieres. After four days of fighting, the first division was relieved (ANZAC Portal, 2020). Later in 1917 William fought in the Third Battle of Ypres, where the Allied Forces achieved their goal of capture high ground (Imperial War Museums, accessed 23/9/2024). 

On the 29/9/16 William developed tonsilitis resulting in him being rushed to the hospital and only being able to return on the 13/10/16. At Camiers on the 8/5/17 he got abscesses on his right thigh, and was sent to hospital in England to recover. He did not return to his unit until 21/7/1917. He took leave in March 1918 for a couple of weeks and once again returned to his unit in April. He was returned to Australia 21/9/1918 on the ship Taranto.

On the 31/1/19 William was finally discharged after 4 years and 154 days of service. He passed away 5th November 1962 and is remembered with a gravestone in West Terrace Cemetery and his name appears on two honour rolls, one at Sacred Heart and the other in Port Adelade.

Reference List:

ABC. “The Story of the Day.” Index.html, 2018, www.abc.net.au/ww1-anzac/gallipoli/story-of-the-day/.

Australian War Memorial. “Advanced Search | Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, 2024, www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=gallipoli.

American Battle Monuments Commission . “This Day in History, November 11, 1918: World War I Ends | American Battle Monuments Commission.” Www.abmc.gov, 2024, www.abmc.gov/multimedia/videos/day-history-november-11-1918-world-war-i-ends#:~:text=On%20November%2011%2C%201918%20an.

Department Of Veterans' Affairs. “World War I and Australia 1914 to 1918 | Anzac Portal.” Anzacportal.dva.gov.au, 17 Aug. 2021, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1.

Imperial War Museums. “War Memorials Register.” Imperial War Museums, 2024, www.iwm.org.uk/memorials.