Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Life Before the War

William Breen was born on the 18th of August 1891 in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia. William was 24 and 5 months old at the time of enlistment. He was shorter than the average height of a soldier, 5’6 ¼ inches tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a medium complexation. He weighed a total of 134 Ibis., which is equivalent to 61 kilograms. Before enlisting to be a soldier in the war William’s occupation was a labourer and his religion was Church of England. He was not married at the time of enlistment, and the only known family connection found was his sister, Mrs George Hall Smithton. William lived in Smythson, a town on the far north-west of Tasmania. Enlisting in World War I was William’s first military service and experience.
 
Life in Service
 
William Breen enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as a Private on the 12th of January 1916 in Adelaide, South Australia. His regimental number was 1032 and he was first appointed on the 18th of January 1916, to the OOY 2nd Depot Battalion. William commenced his training with the 2nd Depot battalion which was located in the Exhibition A.I.F Camp, continuing his training for over 2 months. At the Exhibition A.I. F, Breen's Reinforcement joined with the A. Coy.1st, Depot Battalion in training. After 2 months of training with the 2nd Battalion, William was transferred and appointed to the A. Coy 43rd.Inf.Battalion.AIF, which was located in the Morphettville Camp on the 9th of March 1916, where he continued his training. In late April, the date from which he and his comrades were considered trained and fit for active service by the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). He then embarked overseas on the HMAT Afric A19 from Adelaide, on the 9th of June 1916.

After arriving in England, Breen was transferred to the 10th Battalion in September 1916. He actually arrived with the Battalion in France on 2 October. Over the next several months Breen was repeatedly sick to hospital.

Almost a year after his worst sickness, on the 21st of September 1917, William was reported missing. This was when his Battalion had gone into battle, on the Menin Road near Ypres in Belgium. There was a letter from the Australian Imperial Force to Mrs G. Hall, Smithton, William’s sister, informing his sister that since the last letter about the report of William been missing there is still no further news on his location. There was a hand-written form with William’s sister’s response relating to the serious matter about her brother. There were also multiple letters from the 10th Battalion A.I.F. regarding the absence of William Breen, and confirmation that he was missing since 20 -21/ 9/ 1917.

It was soon discovered that Breen did not go missing in the battle, but had gone AWL before going into action. He was tried in a court martial and sentenced to ten years penal servitude; the ten-year sentence was soon commuted to three years. On 8 June 1918 the sentence was suspended and Breen returned to his unit. He served with the 10th Battalion through the rest of the war, with one more bout of illness.

After the War
 
William Breen was discharged from Europe at the end of the war. He returned to Australia upon the ship “Takada” and disembarked in Adelaide, South Australia, on the 12th of June 1919. Before and during William’s return he was being held for trial, as stated and documented on a ‘Proceedings of Court Martial, Held for Trial of’. This notice slip wrote, William Breen of the 10th Battalion, being held for trial on 11/ 5/1918, sentenced for 10 years, reason of trial was unknown as not sated on this notice. There was a second document, ‘Daily Order’, which was a court file, explaining William’s crime and consequences. Private Breen W. 10th Battalion, held on 11/ 5/ 18, ‘Charge: W.O.A.S deserting H.M. Service in that he at Ypres on the 23rd of September. 1918 after having been warned for duty in the front line absented himself without leave until apprehended by the M.P. on 28th February 1918. This document states that he was found guilty of his crimes and was sentenced to 10 years P.S. on 11/ 5/ 18, confirmed by Brig. Gen. H.G. Bennett. 
 
After serving his time in prison and returning to his sister in his hometown, Smythson, Tasmania, William had sent a hand-written letter regarding his medals. The letter wrote, ‘Dear Sir, I am given to understand that I am entitled to War Medals, if so, will you please let me know. I am sending you my Discharge, please return to…’. He then received a typed letter written from the Base Records Office, regarding a response to the letter informing him about his medals. The letter written by William was written on 9/12/1923 and the one from the Base Records Office was written on 27/ 3/1924, which is in a different year. Reflecting how big of several medals they had to be sending and sorting around for these many soldiers, as there is such a late response to his letter. Breen also had a receipt for Medals, he had received 1 British War Medal, NO. 13208 and 1 Victory Medal NO. 13035. His medal receipt was received on 21/1/1926. It was received on a much later date after the war had ended and once, he had stopped serving, most likely due to the many soldiers who fought in the war.
 
William Breen was never married before, or after the war, he remained single, and unknown whether he did marry before death. He lived with his sister after the war as documented. Unfortunately, there is no further information on William’s later life.