GILLIES, William Keith
| Service Number: | 7073 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 8th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Dulwich Hill, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 8 November 1893 |
| Home Town: | Manly, Manly Vale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Fort Street Public School & Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Electrical Junior NSWGR |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Belgium, 19 October 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery Plot I, Row O, Grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Manly War Memorial NSW, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement 7073, 2nd Field Company Engineers, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked 7073, 2nd Field Company Engineers, SS Makarini, Sydney | |
| 19 Oct 1917: | Involvement Second Lieutenant, 8th Field Company Engineers, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 8th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-10-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
LT William Keith Gillies, Service number 7073
William Keith Gillies, born in 1896 in Dulwich Hill, Sydney, was a bright and ambitious young man. He attended Ford Street Public School before enrolling at Sydney Technical High School, where he excelled academically, His teachers and classmates regarded him as both” popular and brilliant,” and he consistently ranked at the top of his class, finishing first in his year in the second term of 1913(1). After high school, Gillies pursued civil engineering and worked as an electrical junior with the New South Wales Railways before the outbreak of World War I. His family consisted of his mother Alice Gillies and his father William Gillies, who divorced. He also had two cousins in the war Duncan Keith Munro and Authur Raymond Gillies.
In January 1916, at the age of 20, Gillies enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, interrupting his studies to serve his country. He joined the 8th Field Company Engineers, where his technical skills were put to crucial use on the battlefield(2). His military career saw him rise quickly through the ranks, from Sapper to Lance Corporal, and finally to Second Lieutenant. His leadership potential was evident, and he commanded respect among his peers despite his young age.
Gillies embarked for Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt in May 1916, where he joined reinforcements before being sent to France to serve on the Western Front (3). As a sapper, he was involved in digging trenches, building defensive fortifications, and supporting the infantry, an essential but dangerous role that required both courage and technical expertise. Even though he suffered multiple illnesses in 1917, including influenza, he continued to serve with determination and resilience(4).
On 31 July 1917, the British and French launched a massive offensive in the area around Ypres in the Belgian province of Flanders, later known as the Battle of Passchendaele. Ypres provided a defensive position from which to protect French ports on the English Channel and was extremely important and thus had three major battles fought on.
Promoted to second lieutenant just days before his death, Gillies was leading his men during the Third Battle of Ypres in October 1917(5). Tragically, he was killed in action on the 26th of October, just a week after his promotion(6). Despite his short time with the 8th field company Engineers. His leadership left a strong impression. As one soldier recalled, “He had only been with us a week… but everybody liked him”(7).The Third Battle of Ypres effectively comes to an end on 6 November 1917, with a hard-won victory by British troops.
William Keith Gillies’ story is one of unfulfilled potential. A brilliant student and a capable leader, he had a bright future in engineering, His willingness to volunteer for the war, even at the cost of his career and life, speaks to his immense courage and sense of duty.
Endnotes
(1) THS 1913 class 2D sept
(2)Virtual war memorial
(3)Casualty form from NAA
(4)Casualty form from NAA
(5)Virtual War Memorial-service history
(6)Virtual War Memorial-personal detail
(7)Australian Red Cross wounded and missing files
Bibliography
Virtual War Memorial https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/315057
National Army Museum https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-passchendaele
Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1490169, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/australian-engineers-in-the-first-world-war
William Kieth Gillies Document https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NREUcwxWR9nAF2cezQe5UrG-sdy0-RNJ/edit
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