Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

An outstanding all-round sportsman from Malvern in Victoria, Carl Bleakley Willis excelled at Australian Rules football and cricket.

Educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne he was a dentist by profession when he enlisted in the AIF in late 1915. Assigned to A Company of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion he sailed from Port Melbourne in the 'Wandilla' on 6 June 1916.

Whilst training in England he was selected to play in the Australian Rules Pioneer Exhibition Game at the Queen's Club, West Kensignton on October 28, 1916. A top flight footballer, he played for University from 1912 to 1914 and was a member of the South Melbourne Club in the season prior to his enlistment. Playing for the 3rd Division side, Carl Willis kicked two goals in his team's 6.16 (52) to 4.12 (36) win over the Train Group.

He proceeded to France in November 1916. In June 1917 he was part of the 3rd Division's entry into major battle and the AIF's first large-scale action in Belgium. 

Corporal Carl Willis was gassed on the first day of the Battle of Messines in Belgium. He was, like many, petrified of gas. In a letter he wrote in 1917 he described the horror of gas: "I would sooner see men blown to pieces than see them die from gas again. It is a most ghastly death."

After recovering from his injuries he was commissioned and transferred to a dental unit on the Salsbury Plain, serving out the war in the profession in which he was trained.

Following the ceassation of hostilities, a new first-class cricket season was planned in England, the first since 1914, and an idea that came to fruition was the formation of an Australian touring side made up of servicemen. A stylish batsman and very good outfielder who had played first class cricketer for Victoria before the war, Carl Willis was selected in the AIF Cricket team.

The bulk of the team remained intact for nearly nine months from May 1919, playing 33 matches in Great Britain, ten in South Africa on their way home and then another three in Australia itself before disbanding in February 1920. Of the 46 matches, 39 are adjudged first-class and the team had only four defeats, all of these in England. Willis was very successful, making four hundreds in scoring 1,652 runs in first-class matches with an average of 41.

Upon his discharge he return to Australian Rules football, captaining South Melbourne for two seasons. His cricket career also continued to blossom, making runs consistently for Victoria. He was selected in an Australian XI to tour New Zealand in 1920-21 but was unavailable due to business commitments.

He retired from big cricket after the 1928-29 season, having played 72 first class matches.

Carl Willis moved from Malvern in 1929, setting up a dental practice at Numurkah in northern Victoria and then to Tocumwal in New South Wales. He died of pneumonia in May 1930 in Berrigan, New South Wales, his illness exacerbated by being gassed at Messines.