WILLIAMS, George Frederick
| Service Number: | 5238 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Carlton, Victoria, Australia, January 1877 |
| Home Town: | Malvern, Stonnington, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Picture dealer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 9 April 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Plot II, Row A, Grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 57th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5238, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 59th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5238, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Melbourne | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5238, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 57th Infantry Battalion | |
| 23 Oct 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 59th Infantry Battalion | |
| 9 Apr 1918: | Involvement 5238, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5238 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-04-09 | |
| 27 Jun 1918: | Honoured Military Medal, 1st Passchendaele, 'At BROODSEINDE RIDGE east of YPRES on 15th October, 1917, this N.C.O. displayed courage and coolness when out with a daylight patrol. With two men he went to examine a pillbox on the eastern edge of CELTIC WOOD through a hail of machine gun and rifle fire, and artillery all directed to the locality by an aeroplane which was flying low and using its machine gun. There were ten Germans in the box but five escaped by a side exist and Corporal WILLIAMS with one man was detailed to outflank them. His assistant was killed but WILLIAMS with great coolness succeeded in killing three of the enemy by his rifle fire and it is considered that the remainder were hit. He proved invaluable to the patrol officer and set a magnificent example to the men.' |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Roberta Mckibbin (great niece by marriage),
Australia and New Zealand in WWI group
LSgt George Frederick Wiliams MM - No. 5238 was my father-in-law’s cousin or uncle........He became a L/Sgt in 59th Btn. He enlisted 1.2.1916 (38 yrs 1 month) in Melbourne. He was awarded the Military Medal, Ist Anzac No. 92 (not sure what that means) and the Belgium Croix de Geurre...on 16.2.1918. He was Killed In Action on 9.4.1918 in France. He was initially buried in an isolated grave but later reburied. He left behind a wife, Ethel, and two sons. Sadly for them, also, his personal effects were lost at sea when the ship carrying them home sunk. My father-in-law’s brother, who was very small at the time, told me that the family was having an Easter picnic when they got the news that George had been killed.
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