WILLIAMS, Archibald Edward
| Service Number: | 2519 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 47th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Pinkenba, Queensland, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Burpengary, Moreton Bay, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Cerebro Spinal Meningitis, At sea, At sea (HMHS Seang Choon), 3 October 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Burpengary Honour Roll, Caboolture District WW1 Roll of Honour, Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2519, 47th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 2519, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Choon embarkation_ship_number: A49 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 2519, 47th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Choon, Brisbane |
Help us honour Archibald Edward Williams's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Lang
WILLIAMS Archibald Edward #2519 47th Battalion
Archie Williams was born to parents George and Rachael Williams at Pinkenba. By the time he enlisted at the age of 18, the family were living at Burpengary. Archie presented himself for enlistment at the Adelaide Street recruiting depot on 27th March 1916. He gave his age as 18 years and one month and stated his occupation as clerk. Archie was marched in to camp at Enoggera and was soon assigned to the reinforcements for the 47th Battalion as a signaller.
Archie and other members of the 5th reinforcements boarded the “Seang Choon” in Brisbane on 19thSeptember 1916. Archie had allocated 3/- of his daily pay to his mother. A photograph of Archie published in the Queenslander Pictorial shows a youthful fresh faced young man. He was described as having red hair.
The “Seang Choon” called at Sydney and Melbourne to take on other reinforcements before sailing across the Indian Ocean to Capetown. In the early stages of the voyage there was a serious outbreak of cerebral spinal meningitis causing the deaths of four men, one of which was Archie Williams. He was buried at sea on 3rdOctober but his parents were not informed of his death until after the “Seang Choon” docked at Southampton in December.
Archie Williams is commemorated on the Hollybrook War Memorial at Southampton.
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