MCDONALD, William Joseph
| Service Number: | 2787 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Stockton, New South Wales. Australia, 1898 |
| Home Town: | Boulder, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Moulder |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Belgium, 26 September 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Boulder Roll of Honor, Boulder Roll of Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2787, 11th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 2787, 11th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 2787, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Fremantle | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 51 Battalion awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-09-26 | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoff Tilley
William Joseph McDonald of Boulder was born in 1894 at Stockton New South Wales. He was the youngest of six children moving to Boulder, Western Australia with his family in about 1898.
He enlisted into the A.I.F. at Blackboy Hill, Perth in July 1915, aged 21 years with his calling listed as a Moulder. He embarked from Fremantle in October 1915 with the 9th reinforcements of 11th Battalion.
Arriving in Egypt he was transferred to 51st Battalion in February 1916. In April he was appointed to Lance Corporal. By June 1916 William embarked with his battalion for France disembarking at Marseilles. On arrival in France, he was promoted to Corporal.
By August 1916, William was in action with his battalion at Pozieres. It was between the dates of 14h – 16thAugust that William was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his side. He was hospitalised, embarking for England. Whilst in hospital his condition was reported as “progressing favourably”.
On 20th November 1916 in England proceedings of a regimental court martial for William were bought against him. He was accused with, “absent without leave at Monte Video Camp Weymouth on the 10th November. He had failed to report back from Furlough where he was absent until the 17th November 1916”. He had nothing to say in his defence as he only had permission to be absent from 27th October to 10th November. He was found guilty of the charge with his sentence to be reduced to the ranks back to private.
By December 1916 he proceeded back to France re-joining his battalion in January 1917. In the February he attended at the 10th Course 1st ANZAC Corps School where he was congratulated on his excellent results.
Between April to May 1917 William was appointed to Lance Corporal then Corporal before finally promoted to Sergeant in late May. It was by then his battalion moved to Belgium.
It was in June 1917 the battalion was involved in the Battle for Messines with William awarded the Military Medal for devotion to duty. In July 1917 that he was promoted to Second Lieutenant “in the field.” It was from July until September 1917 that 51st Battalion moved in and out of the front lines of Ypres. The battalion conducted training drills when out of the front line.
By the 25th September 1917 preparations had been conducted for an advance towards Polygon Woods, known as the third battle of Ypres. On this date 51st battalion left their dugouts at Ypres, moving to the Westhoek Ridge in preparation to move up to their jumping off lines situated on the left flank of Polygon Wood. Second Lieutenant Mc Donald was allocated to B Company for the attack, which was on the right flank of the advance. It was here that the German shelling inflicted casualties to the advancing men.
William was recorded as killed in action at Polygon Woods on 26th September 1917. There are records that indicated he was buried in the vicinity of a location called ANZAC House which was behind the advancing troops. This may suggest that William was wounded by the shelling, making it back to a dressing station where he died from his wounds.
William’s battlefield burial location was eventually lost, as he has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Menin Gates Memorial at Ypres Belgium.
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