TAIT, William George
| Service Number: | 4288 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Newcastle-on-Tyne England, 1871 |
| Home Town: | Kelmscott, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Natural causes, Edward Millen House Victoria Park PERTH, WA, 7 November 1946 |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Kelmscott War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4288, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Driver, 4288, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4288, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , ANZAC / Gallipoli, Evacuated ill Dec 1915 | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4288, 21st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Battle for Pozières | |
| 10 Jun 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Driver, 4288, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade , 5th Military District |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Steve Larkins
William George TAIT 5488 - 1871-1946
Born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in the UK, Willaim Tate had served in the Boer War, with 1½ years in South Africa.
At the time of his enlistment Electoral Roll entries - 1916 Armadale, butcher, with Mary.
War Service
Entering camp on 8 Mar 1915 Bill was placed in the Depot Company until 24 Apr 1915 when he was allocated to the 5th reinforcement draft for the 8th Field Artillery Brigade. Like many at the time his pre-embarkation training was brief, only a little over a month before he embarked for Egypt.
In Egypt he joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 21 Jul 1915, and at Gallipoli was attached to the Artillery's Forward Control Officer. On 3 Dec 1915 he was taken to hospital ill, and four days later evacuated on HMHS Glenart Castle with defective teeth.
He was admitted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Cairo for treatment from 11 Dec 1915 until 17 Jan 1916. On the completion of the treatment he was taken on strength by the 3rd Division Ammunition Column before transferring to base units in Cairo, Ghezireh, and Giza before returning again to his unit on 8 Mar 1916. By now the AIF (less the Light Horse) was preparing to embark for service on the Western Front
He arrived in Marseilles, France on 29 Mar 1916 and on 15 May 1916 he was transferred to the 21st Field Artillery Brigade, a newly formed Howitzer-equipped organisation intended to augment the artillery of the 1st Division. On 6 Oct 1916 he hesitated to obey an order from an NCO and was awarded 7 days Field Punishment.
He was subsequently transferred to the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade on 11 Jan 1917 as a Driver, and records suggest that he saw out the rest of the war with them. As a Gallipoli veteran he had priority for return home, and on 23 Jan 1919 he embarked for England where he spent time in No 4 Command Depot at Wareham while being processed for return to Australia.
Bill was discharged by the 5th Military District on 10 Jun 1919.
Post War
Electoral roll records place him in 1925 at 94 Zebina street, East Perth, in 1931 at Short street, Bayswater and in 1936 - 1937 at 17 Moir street, North Perth, and employed as a storeman. In 1943 Mary is at 43 Sherwood street, East Perth.William's death notice makes no mention of children. Mary died 30 Oct 1973 aged 93 in Mt Lawley.
William was an active member of the Mt Lawley - Inglewood RSL Sub Branch.
Thanks to Birtwhistlewiki for this information https://www.birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/William_George_Tait (www.birtwistlewiki.com.au)
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