Arthur Reginald WILLSMORE

Badge Number: S3005, Sub Branch: Walkerville
S3005

WILLSMORE, Arthur Reginald

Service Numbers: 2010, S68463
Enlisted: 6 September 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC)
Born: Beverley, South Australia, 12 October 1890
Home Town: Medindie, Walkerville, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Clerk / Civil Servant
Died: 27 February 1966, aged 75 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Adelaide Treasurer and Chief Secretary Roll of Honour, Keswick Prospect Highbury Street Methodist Sunday School Roll of Honour, Keswick Prospect Methodist Sunday School Honour Board WW1, Prospect Methodist Sunday School Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

6 Sep 1915: Enlisted
13 Jul 1916: Involvement Private, 2010, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Bee embarkation_ship_number: A48 public_note: ''
13 Jul 1916: Embarked Private, 2010, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Bee, Adelaide

World War 2 Service

5 Apr 1942: Involvement Private, S68463, 2nd (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC)
5 Apr 1942: Enlisted Adelaide, SA
5 Apr 1942: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, S68463
20 Sep 1945: Discharged

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Biography contributed by Cornerstone College

Arthur Reginal Willsmore was born on the 12th of October 1890 in Beverley South Australia to parents Isabel Emily and Arthur Willsmore.  His schooling was unknown. Growing up he took up the position of a Clerk/ Civil servant at the local shop. Arthur joined the army on the 20th of September 1915, and he was considered to be fit for active service on the 6th of October 1915 in Adelaide. He joined the 50th Battalion. On the 13th of July 1916, Arthur boarded the Seeang Bee on route to Plymouth, England. He arrived on the 9th of September 1916 and disembarked the ship. He moved to Folrestone where he boarded another ship called Prince Henrietta to Etaples. He then marched as part of the British army. During his time fighting in the war, Arthur was admitted to the hospital multiple times for lots of illnesses such as diarrheoa and respiratory issues.  He was moved from the front line and spent 4 months in hospital back in England. After  4 months he was then returned to France in 1917.

Arthur started the war with the 50th Battalion, however, during the war his rank and battalion changed. He became a gunner and a member of the 13th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery. After the war ended on 25/1/1919 Arthur boarded a ship called the Princess Elizabeth back to England from Boulogne to await repatriation home. He returned to Australia on the ship, Balmoral Castle, departing from Liverpool. He arrived in Adelaide and was discharged from the Army on the 20th of May 1919.

He was married in January 1921 in Mount Gambier in South Australia to Mary Boyce, they had a daughter in November 1921 called, Mary Maxine Willsmore in North Adelaide. He then lived in Medindie, Walkerville SA. He then enlisted in the SA Battalion Volunteer Defence Corp in April 1942 for WW2.  He was delisted from WW2 in 1945 and later died on the 27th of February 1966and laid to rest in Mitcham South Australia.

 

Bibliography

Arthur Reginald WILLSMORE

By  Container: Vwma.org.au Year: 2023 URL: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/541041

Digital Item Page Gallery

By Victoria Terrace Container: Naa.gov.au Year: 2023 URL: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8855309&S=1&N=25&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8855309&T=P&S=1

28 Jun 2018 - Arthur Reginald Willsmore | South Australian Red Cross Infor... - Archived Website - Trove

By  Container: Trove Publisher: Trove Year: 2023 URL: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180628153952/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/152599/20180628-1607/sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/eyewitness/arthur-reginald-willsmore-0.html

 

 

 

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