Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Flint was born on the Bulli coal fields between Sydney and Wollongong to parents Arthur and Emily Flint. It is most likely that William’s father was a coal miner who relocated his family to Howard where he probably continued to work as a coal miner. William attended Howard State School and then followed his father into mining.

When William enlisted in Brisbane on 14th January 1916, he was 24 years old. He stated his occupation as miner and named his mother, Emily, of Bulwar Park, Howard as his next of kin. William also informed the recruiters that he had served 3yrs with the Wide Bay Regiment in the Citizen’s Forces.

William was initially placed in a depot battalion at Enoggera before being allocated as part of the 17th reinforcements for the 15th Battalion. In April 1916, the reinforcements travelled by train to Sydney where they boarded the transport “Hawkes Bay”; arriving in Egypt on 24th May. The AIF in Egypt had been doubled in size since the evacuation of Gallipoli in preparation for deployment to the Western Front in France and Belgium.

William was taken on strength by the 15th Battalion on 27th May and five days later boarded a transport at Alexandria; arriving in Marseilles on 8th June.

The newly arrived Australian divisions were given a period of acclimatization to the method of trench warfare employed by the British and the 15th Battalion spent over a month in the relatively quiet sector of the front around Armentieres on the French Belgian border.

On 1st July 1916, the British Supreme Commander in France, Douglas Haig, launched his great offensive in the valley of the Somme River. Achievements were below expectations and casualties incredibly high. Nevertheless, Haig was determined to push on and by the end of July, three Australian divisions had been put into the battle at Pozieres.

For the 15th Battalion, Pozieres was the first major action for most of the men and the battalion suffered heavy casualties. William was fortunate to have survived the murderous artillery barrages and machine gun fire over several periods of front line action.

The Australian Forces were withdrawn from the Somme in September and went into reserve lines in the Ypres salient in Belgian Flanders. Belgium would feature prominently in the campaigns of 1917 but in 1916 it was considered to be of minor consequence. The 15th Battalion was in a regular rotation with other units, spending some time manning the front and reserve trenches before being relieved to spend time in the rear areas training and performing fatigue work.

On the 17th October, the battalion war diary recorded that while the battalion was occupying the firing line, a heavy artillery barrage fell for three hours in the afternoon and evening. This time coincided with the time that soldiers were relieved and that meals would come up from the battalion cookers in the rear areas. It was recorded that William Flint received a severe shrapnel wound to an arm, resulting in a compound fracture. He was taken out by stretcher bearers and admitted into the 4th Field Ambulance hospital where he succumbed to his wounds the following day, probably dying from shock. William was buried in the Reninghelst New Military Cemetery with a military guard and a clergyman in attendance.

William’s mother received his few personal effects which included a purse, wristwatch, a religious medal and letters. Emily Flint was granted a pension of 30 shillings a fortnight. When the Imperial War Graves Commission began to erect permanent headstones in the Military Cemeteries of Belgium and France, William’s family paid for the following inscription at threepence halfpenny a character:

OH LAMB OF GOD REDEEMER BLEST

GRANT HIM ETERNAL LIGHT AND REST