SHIMMIN, Walter John
| Service Number: | 2812 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 June 1915, Keswick, SA |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Charters Towers, Queensland, 28 December 1892 |
| Home Town: | Charters Towers, Charters Towers, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Charters Towers State School |
| Occupation: | Bridge Builder |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 August 1916, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mallala District of Grace WW1 Roll of Honor, Mallala War Memorial, Motherwell War Memorial, Owen District of Dalkey Roll of Honor, Owen War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2812, 10th Infantry Battalion, Keswick, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2812, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2812, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide | |
| 19 Aug 1916: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2812, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2812 awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-08-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Walter John SHIMMIN was born in Charters Towers, Queensland on 28th December, 1892
His parents were Louis Henry SHIMMIN & Jessie Mason DOWNS
Biography contributed
Lance Corporal Walter John Shimmin (2812) was born in Charters Towers, Queensland on December 28th, 1892. His parents were Jessie Mason Downs and Louis Henry Shimmin. He had one younger sister, Olympia. On the 18th June, 1915, he enlisted at Keswick and was assigned to the 10th battalion. He stood five feet seven and a half inches tall, with a medium complexion, brown eyes, and dark hair.
He was aged 22 years and six months and gave his trade as “bridge builder”.
He was engaged to be married to Miss Good, on his return from active service. At this time his mother was living in Scotland and had remarried. He embarked from Adelaide on HMAT “Star of England” in September of 1915. By November he was stationed in Mudros Bay, Lemnos, Greece and from there he travelled to Alexandria on board the “Seeang Bee”. Private Shimmin then disembarked from the “Saxonia” at Marseilles. In May, 1916, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Between 19th and 23rd August, 1916 he was reported missing in action in France.
According to his Captain, Shimmin was “acting Sergeant on Machine Gun Section and on the 19th August was ordered to take up a position to attack the enemy. The attack was made in the evening and he very bravely led the men in the charge and captured three lines of trenches. He was then told to take up a stand and repel the enemy’s counter-attacks. He was successful in stopping three attacks but about midnight the enemy came on in very great force and drove back both wings and Shimmin had word to retire. Unfortunately, there was a large open space to cross and very few succeeding in getting back to the line. Next morning Shimmin was reported missing and the whole of his men and guns and about 50 other men. The Captain personally interviewed the few men that came back and all he could gather was that when last seen, Shimmin was firing his guns at the advancing enemy for all he was worth.”
Shortly after he was confirmed by a Court of Enquiry to have been killed in action. He is buried in Villers-Bretonneux.
Courtesy of Laura Parsons
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