BUCKINGHAM, William John
| Service Number: | 1086 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 September 1914, Broadmeadows, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 6th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newstead, Victoria, Australia, 3 November 1873 |
| Home Town: | Collingwood, Yarra, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Cooper (Carlton Brewery) |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Krithia, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 8 May 1915, aged 41 years |
| Cemetery: |
Redoubt Cemetery, Helles Buried in mass grave with all the other Australians killed during 2nd battle of Krithia located right next to Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Gartside's grave. - Source Charles Bean "Gallipoli Mission" Future of Anzac chapter, Helles Memorial, Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Helles Memorial, Gallipoli |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1086, Broadmeadows, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1086, 6th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1086, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1086, 6th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 6 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1086, 6th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, second Battle of Krithia |
The life of William John Buckingham
William John Buckingham was the 3rd youngest son of Thomas James Buckingham of Cornwall, England. William in his early years was an apprentice to the Morgan Brothers for 3 years as a cooper. He married Catherine Annabella Moreland in 1897 and would go on to have 5 kids (Ethel,John,Charles,Ivy,William jr) and they lived in Collingwood, Victoria. Sometime before 1914 William did 4 years in the Militia then the war broke out and in September 1914 he Enlisted to protect his country and family then shipped off in October 1914 which would be the last time he would ever seen them. he trained in Egypt over the next few months and also helped protect Suez canal from the German empire in January/February 1915. then on April 25th 1915 he landed on Anzac cove and fought the Turkish and was at Anzac cove until may 5th where he was transferred to cape helles to help take Krithia then on May 8th 5:30pm he was killed during the Australian charge at age 41.
Submitted 17 December 2017 by Thomas Buckingham
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
1086 Private William John Buckingham, 6th Battalion, AIF was killed in action at Krithia on the 8th May, 1915. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.
The 6th Battalion, as part of the 2nd Brigade, suffered severe losses during the charge at Krithia, across 400 yards of open plain, losing about 126 men killed, and many others wounded. William had taken part in the Landing on the 25th April, 1915 and moved down to Krithia with the rest of 2nd Brigade a week later. He was the husband of Catherine and the father of five children. When he enlisted in September 1914, he was 41 years old.
The following death notice appeared in the Argus on the 17th June 1916.
“killed in action at Cape Helles 8th May, 1915, dearly loved husband of Catherine Buckingham, of 118 Perry Street, Collingwood; loved father of Ethel, Jack, Charlie, Ivy, and Baby Bill; dearly loved son of the late Thomas and Elizabeth Buckingham; brother of Mrs. J. Richards, of Cornwall, England.
“For duty and his country's call
He went, both true and brave, upon the battlefield to fall
And fill a soldier's grave.”
(Inserted by his wife and family.)
His son 2334 Private John William Buckingham, 2nd Pioneers AIF, was killed in action on the 3rd October 1917. He was originally buried in an isolated grave 3/4 mile west of Zonnebeke, and 3 and 3/4 miles east of Ypres, Belgium. The exact whereabouts of the grave was never discovered and he is commemorated at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium. He was only 19 years of age when he died.
John enlisted on the 6th May 1916, almost a year to the day since his father was killed at Krithia, and he was taken on strength of the 2nd Pioneers, in France on the 16th November 1916. He was sent back to England with trench fever in June 1917, before his death in October 1917.
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