VAWSER, William Herbert
| Service Number: | 6844 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1916, Broken Hill, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Clare, South Australia, 5 December 1890 |
| Home Town: | Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 8 October 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Broken Hill, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1916: |
Embarked
AIF WW1, Private, 6844, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' |
|
| 8 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 6844, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres |
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Private William Vawser was a Stretcher Bearer with C Coy of the 10th Battalion at the time of his wounding and subsequent death. At that time they had occupied a position on Broodseinde Ridge which was subject to enemy shelling. The shell that wounded Vawser, killed his colleagues 5351 Private Gilbert Walker Davis, MM, who was awarded the MM for work the day prior to his death, and 4771 Private Roy Albert Ferguson. They were located together in the trench where the shell detonated.
"Private WILLIAM HERBERT VAWSER, nephew of Mrs. E. Taylor, of South Broken Hill, died of wounds on October 8. He enlisted in Broken Hill last October, and sailed early in November. He was attached to the 10th Battalion, and was 27 years of age." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 17 Nov 1917 (nla.gov.au)
"Private Vawser died in this hospital at 9:50 am on 8 October 1917 from a wound to the chest and amputation of left arm..." Extract from letter by OC 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station.
Davis and Ferguson were buried together in the field but their graves were lost due to subsequent shelling. A number of bodies were discovered by Graves Regstrations units in 1920 in this vicinity but apart from two particular cases there was no means by which they could be identified; the remains were interred "An Australian Soldier of the Great War Known unto God". (1) They are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing.
Private Vawser was buried in the Lissenthoek Hospital Cemetey.
Composite entry compiled in part by John Edwards and Steve Larkins
(1) 'Raid on Celtic Wood' Robert Kearney 2017 pp158-160
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