PUGH, William Joseph
| Service Number: | 2176 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 36th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 28 February 1891 |
| Home Town: | Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tramway Mechanic's Assistant |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 14 October 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 2176, 36th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 2176, 36th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Sydney | |
| 1 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2176, 36th Infantry Battalion, 1st Passchendaele, Gunshot wound to the back. Carried from 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station to the 59th General Hospital at St Omer where he died of his wounds on 14th October 1917. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
William Joseph PUGH (Service Number2176) was born on 28th February 1891 at Ballarat, Victoria. He first worked as a temporary gatekeeper from 20th July 1914, and then as a porter from 22nd September. A week later he was dispensed with, but re-employed in December, only to be dispensed with again after two weeks as ‘not further required’.
Two and a half months later in March 1915 he was employed again, but this time by the Engineer for Tramways in Sydney as a labourer. He worked in the Tramway Permanent Way Branch. He was granted ‘military leave’ on 5th January 1916, though he had in fact enlisted at Liverpool a few days before. He gave his age as 23 years, though he was close to 25. He gave his ‘calling’ as ‘Mechanic’s Assistant’. As he was not married he gave his mother, Mary Pugh, as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 36th Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Anchises’ at Sydney on 24th August 1916 and reached Devonport (England) on 11th October. A fortnight later he was charged with being Absent Without Leave from midnight on 23rd October until 9pm the next day and for this offence was punished with eight days Field Punishment No. 2 and the forfeiture of nine days pay.
On 5th November he was marched out to Sutton Veny Hospital and stayed there 16 days. On 28th December 1916 he was admitted to Bulford Hospital suffering from venereal disease. After treatment for 24 days he joined the 9th Training Battalion at Durrington on 27th January 1917. Here, on 6th March he was charged with breaking out of camp and incurred seven days Field Punishment No. 2.
At the end of this sentence he proceeded overseas to France and joined the 36th Battalion on 24th March. From 21st May to 21st June 1917 he was detached to the 207th Machine Gun Company.
On 1st October 1917 he was wounded in action with a gunshot to his back. Private JC Vest reported:
‘On 1/10/17 the Battalion was at Passchendaele, Ypres holding the line but getting ready to attack. Pugh was in a shell hole behind [me] and was wounded either in the night time or at day break by a sniper or possibly a Machine-gun bullet. Shortly afterwards [I] was myself wounded and taken to a Dressing Station, and while there, was told that Pugh was very badly wounded and with no chance of recovering.’
Pugh was carried from the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance to the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station and to the 59th General Hospital at St Omer where he died of those wounds on 14th October 1917. He was buried at the Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France.
Pensions were granted to his mother, Mary, and his brother Richard Gerard with their mother as trustee.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.