Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Charles Watkins (312)
William Charles Watkins was born 7 September 1890. He was the son of William Watkins (Senior) and his wife Annie (formerly Wilson, formerly Wiggins), residents of Cardwell.

The senior William Watkins arrived in Cardwell in the 1880s, in the employment of James Tyson. He worked as engine driver for the Cardwell Sawmill, then later conducted a lightering service, transporting passengers and goods between the Cardwell jetty and the steamers which passed up and down the coast. He was shipping agent in Cardwell for various companies and was also manager for Howard Smith Ltd at Cardwell. William snr was on the Shire Council from 1911 to 1917 but died in December of that year and was buried in Cairns.

William jnr was born at Cardwell and attended Cardwell State School. He worked as an engine driver and also assisted in the family lightering business. He enlisted at Townsville on 25 October 1915 and was attached to ‘A’ Company, 41st Battalion (with service number 312). He left Australia on HMAT Demosthenes on 18 May 1916, from Sydney for England. After some training, he proceeded to France to join the 41st Battalion which entered the front line in France for the first time on Christmas Eve. The Battalion also served in Belgium in 1917, took part in the defence of Amiens in 1918 and at the St. Quentin Canal.

Watkins spent time on active service in the trenches and under fire, but was sent, sick, to Rouen hospital for a while in December 1916. He attained the rank of Corporal in July 1918 but again was hospitalized in September. As one of the victims of the terrible gas attacks, he remained affected by the experience all his life.

He returned to Australia in early 1919 on the Warwickshire after spending Christmas 1918 on leave in England, and was discharged in July 1919. He returned to Cardwell. Before the War he had assisted his father in the shipping agency and afterwards he took over the business in partnership with his brother George until the early 1930s. Prior to this he had also assisted in surveying the Valley of Lagoons district and had been a steam engine driver at the South Johnstone Sugar Mill. During the 1930s he worked with his cousins, Harry and Bill Curtis, in constructing three bridges on the Cook Highway which was then being built between Cairns and Mossman.

From 1919 he was employed by the Council as relieving Shire Clerk when Mr Hull was absent; he was a member of the Cardwell State School committee and was secretary of the local RSL for some time. During WW2, William used his considerable local knowledge to assist Army surveyors, particularly in the Hinchinbrook area. He married Dorothy Frances Hull on 7 February 1921. Dorothy was a daughter of Shire Clerk Phillip James Hull and his wife Katherine Frances Alice. William died in October 1963 and was buried in the Cardwell cemetery. With permission from The Cardwell Historical Society Cardwell Queensland.