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War Memorial
Australia

Walter Wallace Woodhouse

Birth: 29 January 1896, Snowtown, South Australia

Death: 19 January 1982, Wesley House, Semaphore Park, South Australia

Burial: Enfield Memorial Park, Clearview, SA – Second Crescent, Site 1412

Parents: Frederick Woodhouse and Christina Morrison

Spouse: Marianne Gladys Jackman (1895–1985)

Marriage: 30 June 1917, Methodist Church, Taylor Street, Kadina, SA

Early Life

Walter Wallace Woodhouse was born in the rural township of Snowtown, South Australia, on 29 January 1896, the son of Frederick Woodhouse and Christina Morrison.

He later worked as a fetter, a trade involving metalwork and fittings.

On 30 June 1917, Walter married Marianne Gladys Jackman at the Methodist Church, Taylor Street, Kadina. Marianne was the daughter of Thomas Hudson Jackman and Mary Ann Searle. The couple went on to raise a family, with known children including:

Raymond Aubrey Woodhouse (b. 12 Oct 1918)
Grace Melba Woodhouse (b. 18 Oct 1919)
Desmond Ray Woodhouse (b. 23 Nov 1920)
Maisie Dawn Woodhouse (b. 27 Jul 1922)

World War II Service

At the age of 44, Walter enlisted for service in the Australian Military Forces on 20 December 1940 at Keswick, South Australia. His Army number was S752, and he initially joined the 4th Garrison Battalion.

His enlistment records describe him as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with a light complexion, brown hair, grey eyes, and a distinguishing mark of a light pterygium in the left eye. He was married, a Methodist, and a British subject, with prior service experience.

Walter’s service was largely devoted to home defence and internment camp duties within South Australia, including guard and security work at the Loveday Internment Group in Barmera. Loveday was a major wartime facility housing civilian internees and prisoners of war.

Military Service Timeline

20 Dec 1940 – Enlisted at Keswick; posted to 4th Garrison Battalion.
3 Jan 1941 – Transferred to 6th Garrison Battalion.
5 Jan 1941 – Moved to Loveday Camp for duty.
20 Jul 1941 – Granted 14 days leave; returned 6 Aug 1941.
29 Oct 1941 – Taken on strength at Loveday Camp.
30 Dec 1941 – Transferred to 16th Garrison Battalion.
18 Feb 1942 – Posted to 3rd Garrison Battalion.
26 Apr 1942 – Transferred to Loveday Internment Group.
16 Jun 1942 – Granted 7 days leave; returned 3 Jul 1942.
31 May – 7 Jun 1943 – On leave.
7 Jul 1943 – Transferred to 33rd Garrison Battalion.
20 Oct 1943 – Returned to 3rd Garrison Battalion.
8 Mar 1944 – Awarded proficiency pay.
17 Jul 1944 – Assigned to Loveday Internment Camp duties.
27 May 1945 – Still serving at Loveday.
1 Oct 1945 – Moved to Transit Depot for discharge preparation.
12 Oct 1945 – Proceeded to Adelaide for final discharge processing.
18 Oct 1945 – Discharged from the Australian Military Forces after 1,762 days of full-time service.

Later Life

After the war, Walter returned to civilian life in South Australia. In later years, he and Marianne resided at Wesley House, Military Road, Semaphore Park.

Walter passed away on 19 January 1982 at Wesley House, aged 85. He was buried at Enfield Memorial Park in the Second Crescent, Site 1412. Marianne survived him by three years, passing away on 28 October 1985, aged 90, and was buried alongside him.

Sources:

National Archives of Australia – Service Record (B884, S752)
South Australian Birth, Marriage & Death Indexes
Enfield Memorial Park Burial Records
Advertiser (Death & Funeral Notices), Jan 1982 & Oct 1985

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 10/08/2025