Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

David was the son of David WASHINGTON & Fanny OBIE/HOBBY and was born on the 18th of July 1887 in Colton, SA.

His parents were married on the 21st of January 1878 at the residence of Fanny’s father, in Stepney, SA.

His father was the son of James WASHINGTON & Ann BARDSLEY and was born on the 31st of October 1845 in Cowandilla, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Alfred HOBBY & Ellen AUSTIN and was born on the 25th of December 1860 in Bendigo, VIC.

David was the fifth child born into this family of 13 children.

His father had originally gone to Fowler’s Bay in 1863 with Mr. Marrabel, who was one of the early pioneer pastoralists of that country.
After a few years his father made a start on his own and selected some pastoral country out back from the bay. Unfortunately he had made many unsuccessful attempts to obtain water and struck numerous salty wells.
On one occasion he sunk a well 100 ft. deep by himself.
He was a hard worker with plenty of grit, who never gave in.

After abandoning the pastoral country, where he was unable to procure stock water, he became a contractor in the Fowler's Bay district for several years and soon saved a considerable sum of money.
He then settled near Adelaide for a time and married David’s mother.
They then went Colton and his parents became one of the original selectors with their property comprising over 8,500 acres and his father was considered a fast and remarkably good shearer.

David and his siblings attended the Colton Public School and on leaving school he helped his parents on the family property.

His parents then purchased a property at 53 First Avenue, Royston Park where they resided part of the year, but always returned to Colton for the shearing.
When his father died in 1913 their property was valued at £11,050.

His brother Lavington enlisted into the AIF on the 3rd of August 1915 and was allotted the service number 3768 and posted to the 16th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.
Lavington embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Malwa on the 2nd of December 1915 and served with the 48th Battalion.

His brothers Charles, Rupert & Frank enlisted into the AIF on the 25th of February 1916. Charles was allotted the service number 3002 and posted to the 32nd Battalion, 6th Reinforcements.
Rupert was allotted the service number 826 and posted to the 43rd Battalion, B Company.
Frank was allotted the service number 827 and posted to the 43rd Battalion, B Company (the same Battalion and Company as Rupert).

Charles embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916.

Rupert and Frank embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 9th of June 1916.

David married Rose Dulcie STEWART on the 16th of February 1916 in the Methodist Church, Campelltown, SA.
Rose was the daughter of George STEWART & Emily SMITH and was born on the 25th of November 1894 in Hectorville, SA.

At the age of 29, David enlisted into the AIF on the 5th of July 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 38613 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his wife, of Campbelltown, as his next of kin.

On the 1st of October he was transferred to the 50th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements and then on the 1st of November he was transferred to the AAMC (Australian Army Medical Corps.

They welcomed their first child; Rose Dulcie, on the 27th of November 1916 and David was lucky enough to spend Christmas 1916 with his little girl before going back into camp.

He was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 24th Reinforcements and after 2 months he was transferred to the Field Artillery on the 16th of April.
Sadly, during this time his brother Charles had been transferred to the 50th Battalion and was Killed in Action at Bullecourt on the 2nd of April.

David was then transferred to the Field Artillery, 32nd Reinforcements in Maribyrnong, VIC on the 24th of May.

David embarked from Melbourne on board SS Indarra on the 26th of November 1917 and after spending Christmas Day on board the ship, he disembarked in Suez on the 27th of December 1917.

He then proceeded to England for further training before proceeding to France, where he spent the next 1 year and 7 months before embarking for Australia on the 13th of July 1919 on board HMAT Persic.
He disembarked in Adelaide on the 27th of August and was discharged from the AIF on the 20th of September 1919.

They were then very excited for their next little arrival, but sadly, David was born on the 12th of January 1923, but only lived for 2 hours.

They made their first home in Second Avenue, Gaza (Klemzig) and David was a farmer.
(In 1917 Klemzig was renamed Gaza, commemorating the British victory in the Third Battle of Gaza, in which Australian troops had a major role. Klemzig was re-instated as the suburb name with the enactment of the South Australia Nomenclature Act of 1935 on the 12th of December 1935).

They welcomed their next child; Lincoln David, on the 20th of August 1930 and by 1940 they had moved to 75 OG Road, Klemzig.

With the outbreak of WW2 his youngest brother George enlisted on the 1st of March 1940 (SX1899), but he was discharged medically unfit 4 weeks later.

Rose died on the 30th of December 1954 and David buried her in the St Martin's Anglican Church Cemetery, Campbelltown, with her parents.

His elderly sister Edith then moved in with him.

On the 14th January 1956 his sister Edith was unwell and David called the doctor. She was semi conscious, suffering from a rapid pulse and breathing and was paralysed on her right side, so an ambulance was called. Unfortunately she died on her way to the hospital.

The following morning at 11:30am Constable Heading of the Payneham Police visited David in regards to the death of his sister and they sat on the stools on the veranda in the back yard.
David started to hiccough quite frequently and excused himself to go around the side of his home where he vomited.
He then went back and sat on the veranda where he told the Constable that he had a drink of milk earlier and it may have upset his stomach.
David then went very pale and was unable to speak and then threw his head back and started to fall off the stool.

The Constable and Lincoln managed to catch David and they laid him down, but within seconds he ceased to breath.

David died on the 15th of January 1956 at his home, 75 OG Road, Klemzig and was buried in the St Martin's Anglican Church Cemetery, Campbelltown.

Military

At the age of 29, David enlisted into the AIF on the 5th of July 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 38613 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his wife, of Campbelltown, as his next of kin.

On the 1st of October he was transferred to the 50th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements and then on the 1st of November he was transferred to the AAMC (Australian Army Medical Corps.

The on the 16th of February 1917 he was transferred to the 10th Battalion, 24th Reinforcements and after 2 months he was transferred to the Field Artillery on the 16th of April.
David was then transferred to the Field Artillery, 32nd Reinforcements in Maribyrnong, VIC on the 24th of May.

David embarked from Melbourne on board SS Indarra on the 26th of November 1917 and after spending Christmas Day on board the ship, he disembarked in Suez on the 27th of December 1917.

On the 22nd of January 1918 he entrained to Alexandria and 7 days later he embarked on board HMT Abbassieh, disembarking in Taranto, Italy on the 4th of February.
Three days later he entrained from the rest camp to Cherbourg, France and then on the 14th of February he embarked from Cherbourg, disembarked in Southampton the following day and marched into the RBAA (Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery) in Weytesbury.

On the 2nd of May David was AWOL (absent without leave) for the Tattoo and neglected to obey an order and was awarded 3 days Field Punishment No.2.
The following month, on the 15th of June, he proceeded to France and marched into the AGBD (Australian General Base Depot) in Rouelles.

David was taken on strength with the 1st DAC (Division Ammunition Column on the 2nd of July at Hondeghem.
The 1st DAC belonged to the 1st Division Artillery and their role was the provision of ammunition forward to the gun positions.
Ammunition dumps and transport near the Front Line were high priority targets of the enemy's guns, and later, aircraft.
Horse drawn transport laden with ammunition was a doubly risky business as the horses were vulnerable to all forms of small arms and artillery and the cargo was such that a hit is generally catastrophic.

They remained here until the 6th of August when they detrained in the Amiens area where they commenced to draw and supply ammunition, moving forward from one position to another.
By the end of August they had moved to Cerisy and then to Suzanne and Hem in early September, before moving to Buire on the 12th of September.
Their next move was to Marquaix, near Roisel and then to Longpre in October.

Whilst at Longpre, on the 5th of November, David Suffered from Scabies and was admitted into the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to the 2nd Stationary Hospital.
David was here when the Armistice was signed on the 11th of November and then 3 days later he was discharged to the AGBD in Le Havre.
He then rejoined his Column on the 20th of November in Longpre and 2 days later they moved to Cappy and then onto Solrinnes by the end of November, where they did general fatigue duties.

Their next moved was to Biesme, via Rognee in mid December and Christmas 1918 was spent at Biesme before they started to demobilize.
On the 9th of February they march to Chatelineau and then on the 29th of March david marched out for return to England.

He embarked for England on the 10th of April and marched into No.1 Group in Longbridge Deverill. After 6 weeks here he was transferred to Headquarters in Bulford awaiting his embarkation orders.

David embarked for Australia on the 13th of July 1919 on board HMAT Persic and disembarked in Adelaide on the 27th of August.

David was discharged from the AIF on the 20th of September 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.