39041
BRENNAN, William James
| Service Number: | 2355 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 February 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Booleroo, South Australia, 21 January 1893 |
| Home Town: | Melrose, Mount Remarkable, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Booleroo West School |
| Occupation: | Motor Mechanic |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Lockleys, South Australia, 28 April 1964, aged 71 years |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia General section E Path 10 Grave 732 |
| Memorials: | Booleroo Centre WW1 Roll of Honour, Booleroo Centre War Memorial, Melrose Memorial Institute Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2355, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Bakara embarkation_ship_number: A41 public_note: '' | |
| 28 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2355, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Bakara, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2355, 3rd Machine Gun Company | |
| 25 Sep 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
William Brennan James was born on the 21st of January 1893, in Booleroo, South Australia. He grew up in Melrose, Mount Remarkable, South Australia, and was the son James Brennan (passed away on the 7th of December 1912) and Betsy (passed away on the 1st of February 1948). William attended Booleroo West School before coming a motor mechanic.
At the age of 23 years and 26 days, he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force on the 16th of February 1916. His enlistment form shows that he was not married at the time, and did not have any children of his own, so his mother, Brennan Betsy was listed as his next of kin on his enlistment papers.
William embarked for Egypt on April 28, 1916, aboard the HMAT Bakara (A41), from Adelaide. In Egypt he would undergo further desert warfare training before deployment. The ship's destination was to the Middle East. William was taken on strength with the 3rd Training Regiment at Tel-el-Kabir 1st June 1916. After a few weeks training he was attached to the Imperial Camel Corps in July. Then until August 1917 he moved between the 3rd and 4th Anzac Battalions. In August and September 1917, he spent time in rest camp and hospital in Port Said. Once he recovered, he was taken on strength with the 4th Anzac Battalion by the end of December.
He remained with the 4th Battalion until June 1918 when he spent time in hospital in Moascar with a fever for four days and then was moved to Quarantine camp in Abbassia. It is not entirely clear what condition he was treated for. He was taken on strength with Light Horse details in July 1918. After the war ended in April 1919 he spent a few days in hospital with diarrhoe. William returned to Australia on the HT Oxfordshire embarking 10th July 1919. He was back in Adelaide 10th August 1919 and officially discharged 25th September 1919.
On March 25, 1922, William married Ada Blanche Putland at the Methodist Church in Torrensville, South Australia. Together, they built a new chapter of life beyond the battlefield. Their family grew with the birth of their son, Ray James Brennan, born on January 14, 1923, in Snowtown, South Australia. Ray would go on to live a long life of his own, passing
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