63436
FERNANDEZ, William Clement
| Service Number: | 4471 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 September 1915, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Riverton, South Australia, Australia, May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Riverton, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Northfield, South Australia, Australia, 10 July 1963, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia Kendrew Oval, Row 1A, Site Number 20 |
| Memorials: | Riverton Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 10th Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 1916: | Involvement Private, 4471, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Feb 1916: | Embarked Private, 4471, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Adelaide | |
| 14 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm, Shell shock | |
| 15 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, GSW head | |
| 17 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, Gas | |
| 11 May 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Gas | |
| 10 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, GSW thumb | |
| 11 Sep 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", BW chest | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 4471, 50th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour William Clement Fernandez's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Life Before the War
William Clement Fernandez was born around May, 1896. He was born in in Riverton, South Australia, Australia. Riverton is a small town 96km north of Adelaide. Fernandez worked as a labourer prior to joining the war. Fernandez entered the war at the age of 19 and 4 months. He was single when he joined. Fernandez was a Roman Catholic. Fernandez was 5 ft 3 ½ inches and had a fair complexion. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair.
Life in Service
On the seventh of September, 1915, William Clement Fernandez joined the 10th Battalion in the AIF (Australia Imperial Force). He was given the regimental number 4471. He was also appointed to the 14th Reinforcement.
Five months after Fernandez enlisted for war, he embarked on the seventh of February, 1916. His unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on the HMAT A28 Miltiades. On the twentieth of May, 1916, Fernandez was transferred to the 50th battalion.
While in France, Fernandez was injured. He suffered the injury on the fourteenth of August, 1916. There was terrific bombardment throughout the day. There was heavy fire from the enemies, causing trenches and saps (trenches in no man's land) to be blown to pieces. Stretcher-bearers had a very difficult task during this attack, and soldiers had to become stretcher bearers due to all the casualties. At 12 noon, there were 45 deaths and 105 soldiers injured. He re-joined his unit on the eighteenth of September, 1916.
On the fifteenth of November, 1916, Fernandez was injured a second time. There was heavy enemy attacks on the front line. The enemy threw gas shells onto the support line. They were from 5.30 am till 7 am. During that time, 3 soldiers were killed, and 3 were wounded. Throughout the day, there were seven hostile planes that flew over our lines. On the twenty-third of November, 1916, Fernandez embarked on the H.S. Gloucester Castle at Havre. The vessel was heading for England. Fernandez was on the vessel to get treatment at a hospital in England. On the twenty-fourth of November, 1916, he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital, suffering from a G.S.W wound to the scalp. On the eleventh of January, 1917, Fernandez was transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital from 1st Southern General Hospital. On the twenty-ninth of January, 1917, Fernandez was discharged from 3rd Auxiliary Hospital. Fernandez re-joined his unit of the first of October, 1917.
On the eighth of November, 1917, Fernandez embarked on the H.S. Carisbrook Castle heading for England, suffering Gas poisoning. On the ninth of November, 1917, Fernandez was admitted to the 3rd South General Oxford Hospital with shell gas. On the nineteenth of December, 1917, Fernandez was discharged from 3rd Auxiliary Hospital. Fernandez re-joined his unit on the ninth of February, 1918.
On the tenth of July, 1918, Fernandez’s Commanding Officer was planning the next relief when Fernandez got wounded. The relief was meant to be on the night of the 11/12th. Fernandez was wounded with a G.S.W. wound to the chest. Fernandez was serving in France at the time he got wounded. He re-joined his unit on the third of August, 1918.
On the eleventh of September, 1918, Fernandez’s Battalion had moderate hostile shelling throughout the night. At 2 pm, two Company’s, each supplied with a fighting patrol of 1 platoon, pushed forward on an easterly direction to make an attempt to take enemy ground. The attempt was successful and the attack gained 2,000 yards. During the attack to take ground, there were 8 casualties. After suffering a casualty from the attack, Fernandez was Invalided to the United Kingdom on the twentieth of September, 1918.
After the War
Once the war had finished, Fernandez was still in hospital recovering from his wounds. Fernandez returned to Australia on the twenty-third of March, 1919. Fernandez received two medals for his service fighting for Australia. He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Reflecting the ANZAC Spirit
Fernandez showed the ANZAC Spirit when he was in warfighting for his country. He showed it by how committed he was and his dedication to his country, and to the British Empire. Throughout the war, Fernandez was injured many times. Fernandez had a short recovery time, meaning that he was willing to show his dedication and head back into the trenches and fight for his country.
Click images to start slideshow.