WOOLFREY, Oliver William
| Service Number: | 149 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1914, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Sub Park Div Field Artillery |
| Born: | Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 8 August 1890 |
| Home Town: | Hamilton, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Toowoomba Grammar School |
| Occupation: | Motor Mechanic |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 20 August 1917, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Menin Road South Military Cemetery Plot 11, Row C, Grave No. 4, Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 Honour Board, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 In Memoriam Honour Board, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 149, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Driver, 149, 1st Light Horse Brigade Train, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Omrah embarkation_ship_number: A5 public_note: '' |
|
| 24 Sep 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Driver, 149, 1st Light Horse Brigade Train, HMAT Omrah, Brisbane | |
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 149, 5th Army Service Corps, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 4 May 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Taken on strength from the 5th Coy to the 14th Coy. | |
| 20 Aug 1917: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Driver, 149, 2nd Sub Park Div Field Artillery, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 149 awm_unit: 2nd Australian Ammunition Sub-Park awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1917-08-20 |
The Queenslander -15th Sept. 1917
News of the death of Driver Oliver William Woolfrey, late of Brisbane, who was reported to have died of wounds sustained while he was somewhere in France, was received with regret by a wide circle of friends. Driver Woolfrey, who enlisted exactly three years prior to his death, was a native of Brisbane, and was very popular. He was an old Toowoomba Grammar School boy. He enlisted 24 hours after war was declared, and left with the Light Horse, seeing service in Egypt, Gallipoli, and France. He suffered seriously from shell shock, and was taken from France to England as a stretcher case. In time he recovered, and while on 14 days' furlough visited his grandparents in the South of England. He obtained a position at Salisbury Plain for three months, and after wards joined an ammunition column. His Father, Mother, Brothers, and Sisters are well known and respected residents of Langside Road, Hamilton, Brisbane.
Submitted 20 August 2015 by Elizabeth Allen
Biography contributed by Brooke Eflett
Oliver Woolfrey was raised in Brisbane and studied at Toowoomba Grammer School. Before enlisting with the AIF, Woolfrey worked as a motor mechanic. He was unmarried and did not identify as being in a relationship. Woolfrey was known to be a popular man within his hometown.
Woolfrey was the older brother to his brother Leslie James Woolfrey and sister Elsie Maud MacKenzie. Leslie died in 1916 at the age of 9 years, 8 months while his sister died at the age of 51 in 1961.
During the World War 1, Oliver William Woolfrey was taken on strength from the 5th Coy of the Army Service Corps to the 14th Coy.
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
News of the death of Driver Oliver William Woolfrey, late of Brisbane, who was reported to have died of wounds sustained while jh was somewhere in France, was received with regret by a wide circle of friends. Driver Woolfrey, who enlisted exactly three years prior to his death, was a native of Brisbane, and was very popular. He was an old Toowoomba Grammar School boy. He enlisted 24 hours after war was declared, and left with the Light Horse, seeing service in Egypt, Gallipoli, and France. He suffered seriously from shell shock, and was taken from France to England as a stretcher case. In time he recovered, and while on 14 days' furlough visited his grandparents in the South of England. He obtained a position at Salisbury Plain for three months, and after wards joined an ammunition column. His father, mother, brothers, and sisters are well known and respected residents of Langside-road, Hamilton, Brisbane.
Biography
Oliver William WOOLFREY was born on 8th August, 1890 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland
His parents were Arthur William WOOLFREY and Emma Jane MELTON
He had previous military service with the 9th Infantry before he enlisted on 20th August, 1914 with the Australian Army Service Corp. (5th Company, 1st Light Horse Brigade Train) - Unit embarked from Brisbane on board the ship Omrah on 24th September, 1814
He saw service in France and Gallipoli & was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Oliver died on 20th August 1917 after being wounded at Ypres, Belgium - aged 27 years (multiple shell wounds)
"On 20 August 1917 whilst transporting ammunition to Hell Fire Corner along the Ypres-Menin Road, his lorry was hit by a shell. He was recovered from the wreckage and transferred to a Casualty Clearing Station where he died from wounds." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
He is buried in Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Belgium and also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial
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