GANNON, William James
| Service Number: | 690 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, 30 January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Stanmore, Marrickville, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Clerk |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 5 May 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Nov 1914: | Involvement Private, 690, 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 1914: | Embarked Private, 690, 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney | |
| 4 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, Gunshot wound to the leg. Died of wounds the next day. | |
| 5 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 690, 2nd Field Ambulance, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 690 awm_unit: 2nd Australian Field Ambulance awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-05 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
William GANNON, (Service Number 690) was born on 30 January 1895, in Parramatta. He began working in the Railways on 1 March 1911, as a junior clerk in Sydney. On 14 September 1914, he was given leave from the Railways to join the AIF at the age of 21.
On 4 May 1917, he was injured in action. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, which resulted in fractured bones. He was admitted to hospital in Rouen. He died of wounds the next day, 5 May. He was buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute-Normandie, France.
Submitted 15 July 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
William GANNON (Service Number 690) was born on 30th January 1895, in Parramatta. He began working in the Railways on 1st March 1911. He was a junior clerk in Sydney. On 14th September 1914, he was given leave from the Railways to join the AIF at the age of 21.
On 19th September 1915, he proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Gallipoli Peninsula. He was admitted to hospital on 8th December 1915. He was suffering from diphtheria. He was transferred to many different hospitals in Mudros (on the Greek island of Lemnos), Alexandria (Egypt) and Mustapha over December and January. He was finally discharged to Cairo on 8th January 1916. He disembarked HMAT ‘Warilda’ in England on 19th July 1916. Shortly after, on 10th August, he was found to have committed an offence – leaving post while on duty. This resulted in his receiving 168 hours of detention. He was found to have committed another offence on 31st August 1916. This time, he was Absent Without Leave for six days. he was given another 168 hours of detention and forfeited six days’ pay.
On 17th October 1916, he was transferred to hospital in Brighton, England. He marched in from the hospital a few months later on 22nd December 1916. He went to France on 25th January 1917 and marched into Etaples on 27th January. He was taken on strength into the field, on 27th February. On 4th May 1917, he was injured in action. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, which resulted in fractured bones. He was admitted to hospital in Rouen. He died of wounds the next day, 5th May. He was buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute-Normandie, France.
His next of kin, his mother, received a number of personal items following his death, including letters, a diary, a fountain pen, a belt, and two knives. In addition to this, she was also given the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal on his behalf.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board