SHAW, William Robert
| Service Number: | 138 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 September 1914, Helena Vale, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Echuca, Victoria, 1890 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Collie Public School |
| Occupation: | Ship's fireman/Butcher |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Rouen, France, 3 September 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen St Sever Cemetery, Haute-Normandie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 138, Helena Vale, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 138, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 138, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 20 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 138, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 30 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 138, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Mouquet Farm, Shell wounds (buttock, thigh and leg) | |
| 3 Sep 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 138, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Mouquet Farm, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 138 awm_unit: 16 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-09-03 |
Help us honour William Robert Shaw's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc
Whilst digging into the life of our next Mt Hawthorn veteran, William Robert Shaw, I was struck by two things. Firstly his resilience and secondly the respect and honour his comrades had for him.
William Robert Shaw, born in Echuca, Victoria enlisted in the AIF on 14 September 1914. He was placed in the 16th Battalion with service number 138. William served in Gallipoli and was fighting in France when he died of wounds he received in action.
Obviously drawn to service, William had seen service in the Navy before being invalided out after which he joined the AIF. During his service he suffered a lot of illness and was hospitalised due to at various times, kidney stones, epilepsy, dysentery, chronic bronchitis, bleeding piles and hysteria. Sadly, William lost his life when he received multiple wounds in the buttock, thigh and leg in a bomb blast on September 3, 1916 whilst fighting in France.
William was single, although he had been engaged whilst serving in the navy and a lady called Daisy placed several death notices for him.
Research is ongoing to find out if we can claim William as a Mount Hawthorn lad as he has various addresses in his papers, but for now, with an address of Hicks Street, we are claiming him!!!
Rest in Peace , William and thank you for your valiant efforts in the face of such adversity.
Thank you to Sandra Playle for her work on this.
Click images to start slideshow.