William DE BOYNTON

William DE BOYNTON Update Details

If you confirm that you want to proceed with the update, this record will be locked for editing by all other users until you have finished. You will have 7 days to complete your changes before they will be automatically submitted.

Do you want to proceed?

DE BOYNTON, William

Service Number:	476
Enlisted:	23 April 1915, An original of B Company
Last Rank:	Corporal
Last Unit:	26th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Drake, New South Wales, Australia, 1887
Home Town:	Drake, Tenterfield Municipality, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Killed In Action, France, 29 July 1916
Cemetery:	Courcelette British Cemetery Plot III, Row B, Grave 15
Memorials:	Berry Honour Roll, Berry War Memorial

World War 1 Service

23 Apr 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 476, 26th Infantry Battalion, An original of B Company
24 May 1915:	Involvement Private, 476, 26th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: ''
24 May 1915:	Embarked Private, 476, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Brisbane
29 Jul 1916:	Involvement Corporal, 476, 26th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 476 awm_unit: 26th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-07-29

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

Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

William was born in Drake, a small town about 45 kilometres east of Tenterfield in NSW near the Queensland border. In 1890, just after William was born, Drake was a thriving mining and timber town with 14 hotels. Today it has a population of 350 people. William enlisted 23 April 1915 and served on Gallipoli with the 26th Battalion. He was reported missing at Pozieres on 26 July 1916, like many others he more than likely killed by the massive bombardment of shell fire the Australians were enduring at the time. Several men reported he had been killed by a shell and that he had been buried in the field just north of Pozieres. He was listed as missing for almost a year before being confirmed as killed in action. His grave was found in late 1920 and his remains were interred in the Courcelette British Cemetery.

His younger brother, 4544A Francis De Boynton, 13th Battalion AIF was also killed at Pozieres 11 days later on 9 August 1916, age 20. A third brother 3132 Pte. Arthur De Boynton 45th Battalion AIF was killed in action at Messines almost a year late, age 24.

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia