MOON, William Elphick
| Service Number: | 22423 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 November 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 8th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, 29 June 1895 |
| Home Town: | St Kilda East, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Dana Street Public School |
| Occupation: | Waiter/Analyitical Chemist |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 25 June 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Pont d'Achelles Military Cemetery, France Pont-D'Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 22423, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 22423, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 20 May 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Gunner, 22423, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, HMAT Medic, Melbourne | |
| 25 Jun 1917: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Driver, 22423, 8th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 22423 awm_unit: 8th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1917-06-25 |
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"DRIVER W. E. MOON.
Driver William Elphick Moon, killed in action, was born on 29th June, 1895, at Brown Hill, Ballarat, and was educated at tha Queen, Pleasant, and Dana street schools. He was a member of the Dana street school cadets, and chorister at St. Peter's Church and Christ Church Cathedral. He was on the staff of the School of Mines, and took up the assaying course. Subsequently he went to Melbourne, and worked with Grove Johnson, analytical chemist. He tried several times to pass for active service, but was refused because of dental trouble. On receipt of the news of the death in action of his brother, Sergt Moon, he determined to take his place and in November, 1915, was accepted and joined the artillery. He left Australia in May, 1916, as a gunner in the 23rd Howitzer Brigade. He was in camp at Lark Hill, Salisbury, and attended the gunnery school at Winchester, passing the test in gun-laying with 78 per cent out of 80 per cent. His battery being delayed, he transferred to the 3rd Divisional Ammunition Column as driver. Landing in France 29th November, 1916, twelve months after joining the forces. Later on he was transferred to the 108th Howitzer Battery, with which force he was serving when he met his fate. He was a young man of splendid physical proportions, and of an exceptionally cheerful disposition, and his letters were always bright, the nearest approach to a growl being, "It is not always a beat-feast." and "This in not a comic opera war." He was killed in action on 25th June, 1917." - from the Ballarat Courier 21 Jul 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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