William James MAIN

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MAIN, William James

Service Numbers:	927, 1279
Enlisted:	21 March 1915
Last Rank:	Sergeant
Last Unit:	5th Field Artillery Brigade
Born:	Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1889
Home Town:	Liverpool, Fairfield, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Farm Hand
Died:	Wounds, France, 13 May 1917
Cemetery:	Grevillers British Cemetery Plot V, Row B, Grave No. I,
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

World War 1 Service

21 Mar 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 927, 20th Infantry Battalion
25 Jun 1915:	Involvement Private, 927, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: ''
25 Jun 1915:	Embarked Private, 927, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney
30 Aug 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 927, 23rd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
30 Aug 1915:	Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 23rd Infantry Battalion, Gallipoli
17 Jan 1916:	Transferred AIF WW1, Gunner, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Reverted from Sgt to Gunner (Egypt).
10 Feb 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Bombardier, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Egypt
1 Apr 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Also allocated new S/N 1279 (France).
27 Jul 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1279, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Battle for Pozières
26 Aug 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1279, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Mouquet Farm
2 Mar 1917:	Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1279, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line and Outpost Villages
13 May 1917:	Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1279, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Bullecourt (Second), Severe shrapnel wounds to abdomen, leg & shoulder. Sgt Main died later the same day at the CCS.
13 May 1917:	Involvement Sergeant, 1279, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1279 awm_unit: 5th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-05-13

Help us honour William James Main's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Robert Wight

Although William James Main's attestation papers don't disclose any prior military service, Queenscliff Historical Museum records indicate that one WJ Main is listed on the "Good Conduct" register at Fort Queenscliff, Vic. in 1913.

This is further supported by the fact that William Main transferred to 5th Field Artillery Brigade in early 1916 and rose from Gunner to Sergeant reasonably quickly, suggesting prior knowledge of artillery perhaps?

Further, an eyewitness deposition re Sgt Main's wounding at Bullecourt, a Cpl TG Walchin, stated that: "Sgt Main....was an ex-Garrison Artillery man and I think he came from Castlecliff (sic), Victoria".

Biography contributed by Robert Wight

Wounded (multiple SW abdomen, leg and shoulder) at Bullecourt on 13 May 1917. Transferred to 3rd Australian CCS at Grevillers, where he died of wounds later the same day.

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