70357
MIERISCH, William James
| Service Number: | 4319 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Victoria , 1 January 1875 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Brunswick College |
| Occupation: | Public Servant |
| Memorials: | Port Lincoln & District Honor Roll WW1, Unley Goodwood Presbyterian Church WW1 Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 4319, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 4319, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement 4319, 32nd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour William James Mierisch's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Kathleen Bambridge
Born in Victoria in 1875, he was educated in Brunswick College. He entered the Commonwealth Public Servace, serving in both the Crown Law Department and the General Post Office. After 21 years he retired and moved to South Australia in 1914. He made several attempts to enlist from 1914 until 1916 when he was successful and went into camp, Exibition and Mitcham as a private. He was selected for Duntroon Military College but prefered to sail with the draft to England. He served as Staff-Sergeant Instructor for six months at Hurdcott camp Salisbury Plains, England before he was sent to an officers school in Tidworth. He was successful and was drafted to France with the recommendation for a commission. On join up with the 32nd battalion he was reverted to the rank of private after a stunt in the Messines Sector. Later he was promoted on in the field to Corporal and a day later to Sergeant and a day later to Company Quatermaster Sergeant. H e continued in the Battallion until Armistice. He was wounded and gassed the first time at Polygon Wood, followed by two other occassions. After the Armistic he was sent from Sars Potteries to LeHavre promoted to the rank of Warrent Officer Class 1, in in that capacity served in the 3rd Australian Reception Camp.
On his return there was a vacancy in the Returned Servicemen's Association office at Austral Gardens where he commenced work, in late 1919 he was appointed clerk and has continued to raise through the ranks to now be appointed Secretary of the Branch in 1922. He was a member of the Fathers' Association having had a son who served in France.
In 1923 the stood for election as Vice President of the South Australia RSL.