O'DONNELL, William
| Service Number: | 1884 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 May 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 41st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 1 June 1888 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Horse driver |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, France, 4 August 1917, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Merville Communal Cemetery Extension Merville Communal Cemetery Extension, Merville, Dunkirk, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brisbane 41st Battalion Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 29 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 1884, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' |
|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1884, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide | |
| 4 Aug 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1884, 41st Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1884 awm_unit: 41st Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-08-04 |
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No. 1884 Bill O’Donnell was a (horse) truck driver living in the south-west corner of the city (not unaquainted with the law …) who married Elizabeth O’Leary in St Francis Xavier’ Cathedral Victoria Square at age 19. The couple had 5 children.
Born in Broken Hill, NSW, in June 1888. He enlisted at Adelaide on 29 May 1916 and arrived in France in November 1916 with the 41st Battalion, and the following July was shelled and gassed at Armentieres, dying 5 days later on 4 August 1917 aged 27 – he had been at the front for less than 8 months.
His widow eventually received his rosary beads and other personal items, and a pension of 15 shillings per week.
Courtesy State Libary South Australia
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