WILLIAMS, Norman
| Service Number: | 5431 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cargo, New South Wales, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Canowindra, Cabonne, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Bullecourt, France, 3 May 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Canowindra Soldiers Memorial Hospital and Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5431, 17th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 5431, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 5431, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney |
Help us honour Norman Williams's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Norman Williams was the son of Frederick and Ada Williams of Canowindra New South Wales.
His older brother, 5768 Private Albert Edward Williams 4th Battalion AIF, was killed in action in the same battle on 5 May 1917, aged 28.
Norman, working as a labourer in Canowindra, was the first of the brothers to enlist for service with the AIF. He joined up in January 1916, shortly after his 18th birthday, and was sent to the depot battalion at Bathurst for training.
Norman joined the 17th Battalion on the Western Front during December 1916. In the early hours of 3 May 1917, the 17th Battalion attacked the Hindenburg Line and was involved in very heavy fighting throughout the day. Norman Williams was killed during the struggle and though he was buried by his mates, his grave was lost.
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