Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Bill was a 19 year old labourer when he enlisted in Brisbane on 18 March 1916. His parents, James and Mary Saul signed their consent for his enlistment. He was their third child. He had previously served 4 years with the senior cadets. On 16 August 1916, Bill embarked for active service and disembarked in Plymouth on 13 October 1916. During his training in England he was admitted to the Australian Dermatological Hospital (ADH) in Bulford, Wiltshire with an infectious disease and 2 months later was transferred to Parkhouse Military Hospital for 121 days.

On 9 May 1917, Bill was on his way to France and on the following day he marched into the 4th A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples. On 13 May he was taken on strength with the 49th Battalion. On 13 July Bill was admitted to the Australian Field Ambulance with a hernia. By the end of August he was back with his battalion. In early 1917, the battalion had participated in the advance on the Germans following their retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The battalion then moved to Ypres in Belgium. There it fought in the battle of Messines on 9 June and the battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September. Here Bill suffered shell shock when he was ‘blown up’, and developed deafness. Throughout 1918, Bill was in and out of hospitals in France until on 9 December 1918, when he was returned to Australia on the HMAT Argyllshire. Bill died on 26 September 1923 in Brisbane Hospital after suffering from liver disease and was buried in Bald Hills cemetery, Bracken Ridge.