CAMERON, William Redford
| Service Number: | 3112 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Balranald, NSW, 28 October 1883 |
| Home Town: | Tamworth, Tamworth Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Warrnambool Grammar School, Victoria |
| Occupation: | Reporter |
| Died: | Kilara, NSW, 21 December 1960, aged 77 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 10 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 3112, 1st Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Boorara embarkation_ship_number: A42 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1917: | Embarked Private, 3112, 1st Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Boorara, Melbourne |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
William Redford Cameron was born in Balranald, New South Wales to Agnes Cameron and Alexander Lee-Paul Cameron on the 28th of October, 1883. He lived on Carthage Street in Tamworth, NSW, and attended Warrnambool Grammar School in Victoria as a Presbyterian. He had two younger brothers, Gordon Carmichael Cameron, and Thomas Douglas Cameron, who enlisted for the AIF on the 29th of November, 1915, and the 7th of January, 1916 respectively. Cameron was a reporter, and was 5’10 (177.8cm) tall, 144lb (51.7kg), and had a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair.
Cameron enlisted on the 10th of January, 1917 and disembarked from Melbourne on the HMAT A42 “Boorara” as a trooper on the 10th of May that year. The Boorara weighed approximately 6000 tons and had an average cruise speed of 19.44km/h, was previously a German cargo ship named 'Pfalz', and was owned by the Norddeutcher Lloyd Line. In 1917, he was given the Regimental number 3112, and arrived in Suez, Egypt on the 20th of June, marching in on the same day in Moascar. He was then transferred to the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment on the 28th of July, before being transferred to the 24th Reinforcement of the 1st Light Horse Regiment on the 4th of August.
He was then involved in the attack on Gaza leading up to the third battle of Gaza. On the 31st of October, 1917, his troop strengthened their position in Gaza to trick the Turks into thinking there would be another frontal attack. Some enemy cavalry tried to attack their line, but retreated after being fired at. He then attacked with the Australian Mounted Division and the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, capturing 90 prisoners and 11 officers altogether, prompting the start of the third battle of Gaza on the 1st of November.
On the 22nd of March, Cameron’s rank waited for orders on the left of the Jordan River, and crossed to the right side with the Australian Light Horse Brigade. The Regiment camped near the river until the 26th of March, when the Turks started shooting at any troops that they saw. They fought for 5 hours the next day, until the Turks were driven off their high ground, and Cameron’s Regiment advanced forward. On the 28th of March, 10 enemy planes bombed the campsite at 8am, rounding 10 ranks. The Regiment pushed forward to secure high ground. The next day, the Regiment sent out patrols every 5 hours, and the enemy held high ground, while occasionally shooting at the Regiment. The Regiment withdrew later that day, and crossed back to the other side of the Jordan River.
On the 30th of April, 1918, Cameron embarked for Es Salt, a city in Palestine, as a part of the Es Salt Raid. On the 1st of May, his regiment took care of their horses, and pushed forward and drove back the enemy lines in Es Salt. The next day, his regiment withdrew slightly from the battle, and helped escort prisoners from the Australian Divisional Headquarters to Jericho Plain. On the final day of the Es Salt Raid, the 3rd of May, his regiment fought with the Turks in trenches, but were ultimately overpowered and forced to withdraw to Jordan Valley. Although the raid was unsuccessful, it made the Turkish commanders anticipate another attack across the Jordan, when it would be across the coastal plain.
On the 9th of June, 1918, Cameron went to a cooking school in Ismailia, Egypt before re-joining the army on the 22nd of June and marching out on the 29th of June. On the 27th of July, he went to another cooking school and re-joined the army on the 23rd of August. On the 23rd of November, he went to Hospital sick, and re-joined the army a week later on the 30th of November. On the 18th of January, 1919, he was diagnosed with Malaria and was discharged from the AIF for medical unfitness. He embarked on his return to Australia on the HMAT Lancashire on the 2nd of April.
After the war, Cameron was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service. These medals were awarded to celebrate the victory of the Allies over the Central Powers, and were awarded to those who fought between the 5th of August 1914 and the 11th of November 1918. He then became a journalist and married a woman named Muriel Agnes Roberts on the 17th of December, 1921. They then moved to 2 Phoebe St, Balmain, New South Wales. In 1941, he enlisted to join the army for WWII when he was 55 years old, and fought in the Volunteer Defence Corps.
In 1944, during his service in WWII, Cameron was sent to 2 different schools around NSW, before he was sunburnt while he was fishing and sent to the David Berry Hospital for a 2nd degree sunburn on the 9th of March, 1944. After being sent to numerous different hospitals and developing dermatitis in the lower third of his thighs, he was once again discharged from the army on the 18th of November, 1944 for medical unfitness after 1049 days of service in WWII, 950 of which were in Australia.
Cameron then died on the 21st of December, 1959 at age 72, and was cremated and buried at Northern Suburbs Crematorium in Sydney.