QUILTER, Richard
| Service Number: | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 January 1915, Enlisted at Rosebery Park, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 9th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Aberdovey, Wales, 2 April 1887 |
| Home Town: | Enfield (NSW), Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St. Michaels, Paddington, London, England |
| Occupation: | Labourer, Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Head wounds, 45th Casualty Clearing Station, France, 26 February 1917, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension Grave V. D. 6 INSCRIPTION HE FOUGHT THE FIGHT THE VICTORY WON AND ENTERED INTO REST |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Rosebery Park, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Brisbane | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, Wound to the right shoulder | |
| 8 Jan 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 9th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Feb 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, Second occasion. Wound to the head. | |
| 26 Feb 1917: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2001, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2001 awm_unit: 9th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-02-26 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of John Quilter and Mary Quilter of Star Street, Paddington London, England.
Richard had also trained as an engineer.
Previously enlisted in September 1914 but deserted.
Medals: 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Richard William QUILTER (Service Number 2001) was born on 2nd April 1889 at Aberdovey, Wales. He worked as a casual conductor for the NSW Tramways from 16th November 1911 and became a permanent employee in October 1912. He remained in this role until he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 8th September 1914. He enlisted at Rosebery Park a few days later, giving his father J Quilter of 54 Star Street, London as his next of kin. He was given the service number 668 and allotted to the 13th Australian Infantry Battalion. He described himself as a ‘Conductor’.
Richard Quilter then enlisted for a second time in Brisbane on 28th January 1915. His next of kin was still his father at the same address in London, but now gave his calling as ‘Plumber’ and stated that he had been born in Paddington, London. He was given the service number 2001 and allotted to the 9th Division.
Richard Quilter embarked HMAT ‘Kyarra’ at Brisbane on 16th April 1915. He was located at Lemnos, the advanced base for the Gallipoli campaign, on 26th June 1915 where he was in hospital with Gonorrhoea. In July he was transported by the hospital ship ‘Neuralia’ to Malta and later to Egypt. In September he is shown as ‘embarked Ionian for front’ and in December to hospital on Lemnos again, now with cellulitis and a septic face. He passed through a series of casualty clearing stations and hospitals before being discharged to duty at Cairo on 23rd February 1916 and re-joining the 9th Battalion at Serapeum on 6 March.
Later in March, Quilter embarked at Alexandria for passage to France and the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. He passed through Marseilles on 3rd April 1916.
He was wounded in action on 23rd July 1916 and admitted to the 1st Canadian General Hospital with a gunshot to his right shoulder. On 3rd July he moved to No. 6 Convalescent Depot at Etaples and re-joined his unit on 1st September 1916.
Quilter was promoted to Lance Corporal on 8th January 1917.
He was wounded on a 2nd occasion of 25th February 1917. He died of this wound – a gunshot to his head – in the Ambulance Train the next day, 26th February 1917.
He was buried in the Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension 2½ miles SW of Albert.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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