DOYLE, William Henry
| Service Number: | 3176 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 March 1917, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 6th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Singleton, New South Wales, 28 July 1896 |
| Home Town: | Inverell, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Drover |
| Died: | Beheaded by the Japanese during WWII, Nauru, 23 March 1943, aged 46 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Inverell Intermediate High School Roll of Honour, Nauru Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Mar 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3176, Inverell, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3176, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Boorara embarkation_ship_number: A42 public_note: '' | |
| 10 May 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3176, 6th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Boorara, Melbourne | |
| 23 Jun 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3176, 6th Light Horse Regiment |
Beheaded by the Japanese in 1943
William Henry DOYLE was working on Nauru island as an Overseer of the British Phosphate Commissions Staff when he was beheaded by the Japanese on 23 March 1943, alongside two OLSH Nuns and a Priest. This is documented in the book "Red Grew The Harvest" Edited by F.N.D.S.C.
It is a book of Missionary experiences during the Pacific War of 1941-1945 as told by the Sisters of O.L.S.H.
Submitted 5 March 2018 by Karen Byrne
Biography contributed by Scott Seymour
William Henry Doyle was beheaded by the Japanese on Nauru Island during WW2. He was not serving as a soldier. He was employed by a British phosphate company as an overseer when war broke out. William was 1 of 5 non native individuals who volunteered to stay on Nauru Island when the invasion by Japanese was imminent. His family were told he had been beheaded along with the clergy on the Island. However all clergy were evacuated.
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