PRUSS, William Wallace John
| Service Number: | 2718 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 April 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bega, New South Wales, Australia, 1896 |
| Home Town: | Bega, Bega Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 13 March 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs, Picardie Plot X, Row A, grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bega District School WW1 Roll of Honor, Bega Loyal Prince Alfred Lodge No 40 M.U.I.O.O.F. Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2718, 53rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 2718, 53rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 2718, 53rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney |
Help us honour William Wallace John Pruss's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Pruss was killed in action only 7 days after joining his unit in France. A stray shell hit the dugout he was in behind the lines. Another soldier, Pte. George Sharpe was also killed in the explosion and both were subsequently buried in the Guards Cemetery, close to each other.
The local newspaper in Bega reported, "The former hero was a native of Bega, 24 years of age, and practically spent his whole life here. He left Bega only about seven months ago, and therefore could not have been in the fighting line very long. “Tom” was an exemplary young man, and exceedingly popular with all classes. Private Wallace Pruss was of a quiet and unassuming disposition, and when he enlisted his father missed his valuable services on the farm, where they were well nigh indispensable. On all sides expressions of sympathy with the fallen heroes parents and relatives are expressed..."
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