Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From: In Remembrance: Hungerford and Associated Families in the Great War 1914-1918

Bmr William Henry ('Billy') WILKINSON,  

Regimental Number:   1475   
Unit Name:   1st Light Horse Regiment, 11th Reinforcement

Religion:   Church of England

Occupation:   Sheep Farmer

Address:   'Bundenna', Terry Street, Ryde, NSW

Age of Enlistment:   39 years and 11 months

Enlistment Date and Place:   15 May 1915, Liverpool, NSW

Next of Kin:   Mother, Mrs. Jane Wilkinson, c/- R. Ramsay, 'Kalimna', Angel Road, Strathfield, NSW

Rank on Enlistment:   Private

Embarkation Details:   Unit embarked from Sydney, NSW, on board HMAT A47 Mashobra 4 October 1915

Rank from Nominal Roll:   Bombardier

Unit from Nominal Roll:   10th Field Artillery Brigade

Campaigns Served:   Egypt; France

War Service/Promotions:   Taken on strength 1st Light Horse Res Rgt 9 February 1916, Egypt. Admitted to No 4 Auxiliary Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt, 21 February 1916 after coming into contact with meningitis, discharged 7 March 1916. Transferred to 4th Division Artillery, Australian Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC), 21 April 1916, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt. Taken on strength 10th F.A.B, and posted to 38th Battalion, Serapeum, Egypt, 22 April 1916. Proceeded to join BEF, Alexandria, Egypt, 5 June 1916, disembarking Marseilles, France, 13 June 1916. On 1 July 1916 he was mustered as a Driver. Admitted to hospital in Boulogne, France, 13 July 1917 with PUO (Pyrexia Of Unknown Origin - pyrexia being a fever. In short he was ill and they didn't know why - today it would be 'a virus' (or a 'ritual object' if you are an archaeologist, something you can't explain but need a word or phrase)). Then admitted to 5th General Hospital in Rouen, France, 24 July 1917. Back to unit 1 September 1917, Havre. On 15 September 1917, transferred to 10th FAB from 4th, DAC. Temporary Bombardier from 20 October 1917. On leave from 28 October to 5 November 1917, when he rejoined his unit in the field. Promoted in France to Bombardier 20 January 1918. William remained with his unit until 11 December 1918. Marched out to England 27 January 1919, prior return to Australia.

Fate:   Returned to Australia per HT Armagh, 5 April 1919. He never married.

Place of Death:   22 July 1954, Mental Hospital, Morisset, NSW

Place of Cremation:   Northern Suburbs Crematorium, North Ryde, NSW

Medals/Citations:   1914/15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal

War Memorial/Honour Roll:   Pokolbin Community Hall Gates, McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, NSW (was the old Pokolbin School); Maitland Citizens Memorial, Maitland, NSW

The following are quotes from: Facing the Foe - War Service of Shore Old Boys in the First 50 Years by Robert Peterson

WH Wilkinson [11 th ReinF 1ST lh) writing from the Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis [TB

April 1916], said that they had left that camp in November, 1915, with a lot of ALH picked

from various units from all the States and had gone into a mixed camp near Alexandria, and

from there proceeded to Merca Matruahl [Mersa Matruh], a small port in the

Mediterranean near the Tripoli border. Here they joined with mounted Britishers, forming

a composite brigade of about 500 ALH, also some three to four thousand infantry,

composed of Britishers, Sikhs, NZs and S. Africans. They had about eight weeks there

reconnoitring and fighting with Bedouin Arabs and Senoussi [Senussi] led by Turkish

officers and some German officers. In all they had four actions and some small affairs. On

Christmas Day they had a heavy day, fighting from morning till night, inflicting considerable

loss on the enemy. Their last fight on January 23rd was severe, but they gave the enemy a

good beating, which it was hoped would keep them quiet for some time. [On January 23,

the composite British force captured and burned the Senussi camp twenty five miles west

of Mersa Matruh, easing British concern about the Egyptian western desert.] They left

Matraiah [Matruh] on January 31 st and arrived at Heliopolis on February 10th, when the

composite regiment was disbanded and the men rejoined their various units.

and the following from the same publiction refers to "Billy Wilkinson"

Gerald Digby [30th Reinf 12th LH 4th Bde] was doing outpost duty and patrol work in connection with the front line of Canal defences on the Sinai Peninsula. He wrote on 20/6/16, 'You meet members of the SCEGS in nearly every unit you come across.'......, At the Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis he met one of the 'daddies of the School,' W (Billy) Wilkinson. (This refers to the fact that Billy Wilkinson left Shore in 1892, where he was a Prefect and in the 1st XV)

WH Wilkinson (Billy) wrote in November [1918] that he was in London on leave, and was 'in the best of health and spirits'. Ever since February they had had rather strenuous time in the line, and it was a treat to be back in civilisation and comfort, even though it was only for a short time. He continually met Old boys in the line.