RUST, William Henry
| Service Number: | 563 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 August 1914, An original member of HQ group 9th Bn. |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 47th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Woolwich, England, May 1878 |
| Home Town: | Bundaberg, Bundaberg, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Dernancourt, France, 5 April 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 563, 9th Infantry Battalion, An original member of HQ group 9th Bn. | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1914: | Involvement Private, 563, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Omrah embarkation_ship_number: A5 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Sep 1914: | Embarked Private, 563, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Omrah, Brisbane | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 563, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 563 awm_unit: 47th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-04-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Henry Rust was an old British soldier, who enlisted in Bundaberg, Queensland during August 1914, one of the first Australians to enlist, and he was posted to the 9th Battalion.
He had seen several years’ service in the Boer War with the Royal West Kent Regiment, also serving in Egypt and Ireland.
Rust served at the Anzac landing with the 9th Battalion and at Gallipoli until the 8 July 1915 when he was evacuated with bronchial pneumonia. He was listed as dangerously ill for a time in Alexandria, Egypt, until he was evacuated to England in August 1915. When he was sent back to Egypt he transferred to the 47th Battalion during April 1916.
He was disciplined on eight different occasions during his service and faced a court martial in France for drunkenness on active service, for which he received 6 months in hard labour which was later remitted.
Promoted to Lance Corporal he was killed in action during the heroic defence of the Dernancourt railway line by the 47th Battalion. He was reported to have been buried in the Dernancourt Railway Line Military Cemetery but his remains were lost after the war.
A stepsister in England received his medals and entitlements. His parents were both deceased.
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