Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William’s father had passed away in 1899 when he was only 8 years of age. He and his 7 brothers and sisters were raised by their mother Mary Ann Keating. Three of the Keating boys enlisted, and only one, James Keating M.M. 16th Battalion, returned home. He was returned home for “family reasons”, due to his two brothers being killed in action. This action was approved by the GOC AIF, Sir William Birdwood.

William was only 5 feet 3 inches tall, (barely 160cm) when he enlisted at the age of 23. He arrived at Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916, and was posted missing at Fromelles less than a month later on 20 July 1916. He was not confirmed as killed in action until August 1917, almost 13 months later.

3293 Corporal D.F. Veale 32nd Bn stated in his Red Cross file: 'I was told by Sgt. McDowell of C Co. that he had seen Keating killed in the German trenches at Fromelles about the 20th July.'

William’s younger brother, 6068 Pte Thomas Keating, 11th Battalion AIF, was killed in action in Belgium 7 October 1917, aged 20.

William Keating was born Northampton, Western Australia, he was one of seven children to parents James and Mary Ann Keating. William’s father died in July 1899 at the Geraldton Victoria Hospital from Bright’s disease aged 31 years. He had been unwell for eighteen months. At the time of his death his youngest child was three weeks old with William eight years of age.

In July 1915 William enlisted into the A.I.F. at Blackboy Hill, Perth Western Australia. He recorded his calling as Horse Driver, listing his mother as his next of kin of Fitzgerald Street Geraldton. Two of William’s brothers also enlisted into the A.I.F., James attached to 16th Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal, he returned home from the war. His younger brother Thomas was attached to 11th Battalion where he was killed in action in Belgium on 7th October 1917 aged 20 years.

William embarked from Adelaide, South Australia in November 1915 aboard HMAT Geelong A2, attached C Company with the 32nd Battalion. Arriving in Egypt in December 1915 joining the British Expeditionary Force where he conducted further training with his battalion, before embarking to France in June 1916. On arrival in France William was sent Morbecque near Hazebrouck in northern France.

It was in July 1916 that William with his battalion moved to their billets at Fleurbaix in preparation for an assault on the German trenches at Fromelles. Part of the plan was to use the Australian Fifth Division which included Williams battalion along with the 31st Battalion, which was part of the 8th Brigade. The assault on the German trenches was on the extreme left flank with the two battalions to cross only 100 metres of no man’s land to get the German trenches. The assault was to commence at 6pm on 19th July 1916.

William with his battalion and 31st Battalion were to form the first and second waves of the attack. Even before the attack commenced the Australians suffered casualties from the German artillery but also from the inexperienced Australian artillery who lacked the skills to provide artillery cover for the battalions.

With the Australian’s suffering heavy casualties from the artillery and German machine gun fire the men from the 31st and 32nd battalions against all odds were able to capture a small section of the German trenches. With no follow up support by the Australians and continued German counter attacks the Australians were forced to withdraw. William’s fate is unknown, but from a Red Cross file it was reported that William was seen killed in the German trenches. By the morning of the 20th July 1916 the attack was over.

After the attack by the Australians the Germans removed the Australian casualties from their trenches, burying them in large pits near Pheasant Wood. The Australians who had survived the attack, reaching the German trenches were taken prisoner.

Private William Keating was previously reported as missing. His family had written to the Red Cross making inquiries to see if William was now a prisoner of war in Germany. It was by a Court of Inquiry on 25th August 1917, that William was pronounced Killed in Action on 20th July 1916.

William has no known grave, and he is commemorated on VC Corner Australian Military Cemetery, Fromelles France. He was 23 years of age.

His mother and sister placed memorial notices in the Geraldton Guardian a local newspaper on 20th July 1920.

From his mother she wrote.
Only a grave of a hero,
Only a mound of earth,
Far from the land of the wattle,
The place that gave him birth,
Somewhere in France he is lying,
He answered his country’s call.

Where his sister wrote.

He sleeps not in his native land,
But under foreign skies,
Far from those who love him,
In a hero’s grave he lies.

Private William Keating you have not been forgotten.