William Furvean (Bluey) JARRETT

JARRETT, William Furvean

Service Number: 52
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 9th Machine Gun Company
Born: Woolloomooloo, NSW, Australia., 14 June 1893
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Trainee Engineman, Railway Foreman's Clerk
Died: Died of wounds, France, 5 February 1917, aged 23 years
Cemetery: Boulogne Eastern Cemetery
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cowper Public School WW1 Honor Roll, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

1 May 1916: Involvement Private, 52, 9th Machine Gun Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: ''
1 May 1916: Embarked Private, 52, 9th Machine Gun Company, HMAT Benalla, Sydney
24 Jan 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 52, 9th Machine Gun Company, Admitted to 13th Stationary Hospital Boulogne on 27th January 1917. Died of his wounds of 5th February 1917.

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Biography contributed by John Oakes

William Furneau JARRETT (Service Number 52) was born on 14th June 1893 in Woolloomooloo.  In 1911 he joined the NSW Government Railways as a shop boy at the Eveleigh workshops.  He became a cleaner (first step on the career path of an engineman) in 1912. In January 1916 was appointed a foreman’s clerk in the locomotive running sheds, the largest in NSW. 

In March 1916 he enlisted in the AIF, in Sydney.

He was appointed to the 9th Machine Gun Company, 9th Brigade. He embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Medic’ in May 1916 and landed in England in July.  He was sent to France with his unit in November 1916. 

On 24th January 1917 he was severely wounded in action. He was evacuated to the 13th Stationary Hospital, at Boulogne, where he was admitted on 27th January. 

Lt. O.L. Harden MC reported:

‘Jarrett was in No. 4 Section of the 9th Machine Gun Co. I knew him, we called him “Bluey” as he was redheaded, and I believe he worked in the Railways before enlisting. He was wounded in the leg and body…. whilst we were in support lines near Armentières in the hoop Line Sector on the bank of the River Lys. I remember him being sent to hospital. Whilst we were still in the same position word came through that Jarrett had died of his wounds at Hospital, but we understood that it was the body wound that killed him.’

He died there of his wounds on 5 February 1917.  He was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, aged 23.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.

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