Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Timon Claude Wilson was born on 2 July 1887 in Glen Thompson, Victoria, teh son of Timon and Ellen Wilson. Before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 12 July 1916, at the age of 29, he was working as a farmer. His younger brother, 510 Sergeant Percy Edward Wilson, had served with the 4th Light Horse Regiment at Gallipoli. However, Percy contracted enteric fever and was repatriated to Australia on 10 March 1916.

Timon was assigned service number 6369 and embarked from Melbourne on 11 September 1916 aboard HMAT Euripides with the 20th Reinforcements, 7th Battalion, AIF. He disembarked in Plymouth on 26 October 1916 and proceeded to France on 17 December. Just a week later, he joined his battalion on 24 December 1916, which was then out of the line, stationed in Nissen huts at Melbourne Camp, Mametz.

The men received Christmas Billies from the Lady Mayoress' Committee on Christmas Day, filled with Christmas puddings and accompanied by a tot of rum for each soldier. The battalion, having recently undergone a reorganisation, now comprised four companies with 16 platoons, and a newly formed 17th platoon designated for training recent reinforcements. Timon was likely assigned to this platoon during his integration into the unit.

On 7 January 1917, the battalion relocated to Buire, occupying billets for a week before moving to Warloy-Baillon on 13 January. They endured intensely cold weather, surrounded by snow and frozen water. With no tree in sight, the men resorted to salvaging wood from old German dugouts to light their fires. Off-duty soldiers would cluster around braziers, warming one side of their bodies before turning around to warm the other.

Throughout February, the battalion took part in raids around Bayonet Trench and the Maze, probing and harassing enemy positions as the Germans began their strategic withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. On 24 February, a successful raid by the battalion allowed them to occupy Bayonet Trench despite encountering heavy shellfire from the enemy.

During March, the 7th Battalion faced intense engagements in the Thilloy sector, suffering casualties from heavy shelling and booby traps left behind by the retreating Germans. Poor weather and harsh trench conditions persisted as the unit moved closer to the Hindenburg Line in preparation for a larger offensive.
On the morning of 15 April, the battalion was urgently deployed to Fremicourt to support the 3rd Brigade, which had been counterattacked by German forces at Lagnicourt. Taking up positions around the village, they faced strong enemy resistance and sustained casualties from artillery and machine-gun fire.

On the night of 23 April 1917, the 7th Battalion was relieved by the 6th Battalion, Border Regiment. According to eyewitness reports, Wilson was serving with 12 Platoon, “C” Company, when a shell landed directly in his trench, killing him instantly.

6346 Private Herbert Swindells later recounted: “I saw Wilson killed instantly by a shell in the front line at Bullecourt, about two miles to the right of the village on April 23rd ’17. He was buried where he fell, alongside Fraser (6268 Private Alexander Fraser), who was killed by the same shell. We were unable to mark the grave in any way as shelling was ongoing heavily at the time. The grave would be hard to trace now. I knew Wilson well and came from Melbourne with him on the Euripides, leaving on September 11th ’16.”

Further details were provided by 3247 Sergeant Leslie Bonney, who confirmed that Wilson had been on garrison duty at an outpost in front of Pronville, near Bapaume. He was buried by the same shell that killed Fraser around midday. Additionally, 4312 Private George Wilson Seamons stated that Wilson and Fraser had been manning a Lewis gun when they were killed, noting, “They were great friends.”

Afterwards, Wilson’s grave could not be located, and he is commemorated today on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.