MCCASKER, William Carr
| Service Number: | 166 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 November 1915, Machine Gun Section |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 42nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Boggabilla, New South Wales, Australia, 1884 |
| Home Town: | Goondiwindi, Goondiwindi, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Goondiwindi State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Pipe moulder |
| Died: | Killed in action, Broodseinde, Belgium, 4 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Goondiwindi War Memorial, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Yelarbon Roll of Honour, Yelarbon War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 166, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Machine Gun Section | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 166, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 166, 42nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Sydney | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 166, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 166 awm_unit: 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-10-04 |
Help us honour William Carr McCasker's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Carr McCasker M.M. was the son of William Carr and Annie McCasker, of Mooroobie Station, Goondiwindi, Queensland and husband of Stella Alice McCasker.
William and his younger brother Charles both enlisted in the first week of November 1915 and were placed in the Machine Gun Section of the newly forming 42nd Battalion.
William had a three-year-old son at the time.
William and Charles arrived in England with the 3rd Division during July 1916 where they underwent training until the 42nd Battalion moved to France in November 1916.
William was promoted to Corporal in April 1917, then Sergeant during July 1917. His brother 171 Pte. Charles Edward McCasker 42nd Battalion was reported missing after a raid by the unit on 3 July 1917. William believed his brother was wounded and had been taken prisoner by the Germans.
William was awarded an immediate Military Medal not long after, the recommendation stating, “On the morning of July 31st, 1917, during an advance east of Messines this NCO was in charge of a platoon. His platoon was held by machine gun fire from a shell hole about 20 yards in front, in the attempt to rush the position. The platoon was stopped by wire but the Sergeant forced his way through alone. He threw a bomb into the garrison, killing two and wounding several, the remainder surrendering with their gun intact before the platoon arrived. His actions throughout were characterised by coolness, dash and determination.” G.A. Vasey, Captain, Brigade Major, 11th Infantry Battalion, AIF.
William was killed in action only a few months later, during the Battle of Broodseinde in Belgium. The circumstances of his death are unknown and he has no known grave.
His wife Stella, received his Military Medal and a pension for herself and her child. Evidence given by William’s father stated that his son had separated from Stella prior to enlisting and that the child was in the care of the grandparents. The child, Harold William McCasker, was awarded the Memorial Plaque and some of William Carr’s medals and personal effects.
Click images to start slideshow.