S16308
DOMMETT, Wilfred
| Service Number: | 162 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Memorials: | McLaren Vale Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 162, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 162, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement 162, 10th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Wilfred Dommett's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Wilfred Dommet was born into a family in Dorset, a county in South-West England. Whilst in England, he was a carpenter apprentice for 5 years. His religious denomination was Anglican and his appearance consisted of brown hair and eyes, a fresh complexation, and a height of 5’4 feet. After migrating to Australia, he found his new home in McLaren Vale, where he lived until he embarked for the War as a single man at age 26.
Prior to the War, he had some experience on the field as he served in a Territorial Force, as a part-time volunteer component of the British Army.
On the 20th of October 1914, the unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board Transport A11 Ascanius, Captain F.Chrimes as part of the 10th battalion, B company. Wilfred was one of the 1004 that embarked, consisting of 31 Officers, 969 Men, 2 Sister Nurses and 1 Y.MC.A Representative (Young Men Christians Association). Once on their travels in the Indian Ocean, at 7:15am on the 9th of September 1914, an SOS message had been received from Emden informing them that the ship had been ‘Beached and done for’ by HMAS Sydney. Sharing joy and cheer were shared amongst the troops when the message was communicated.
On 6th of December 1914, the troops have arrived in Alexandria Egypt and continued to disembark and unload at around 4pm and by the 10th of December they were sent by electric tram into camp at Mena, near Ciro. Wilfred was just one of the 20,000 soldiers at the camp that started training between January and February of 1915, right at the foot of the pyramid.
By the 1st of March 1915 the Battalion had begun their 7-week journey planning for a landing on Gallipoli Peninsula in early April where they embarked for Gallipoli with the rest of the 1st division on the 24th of April 1915. Finally, the 10th battalion had arrived at Gallipoli as one of the first units to come ashore ANZAC cove at around 4:30am on the 25th of April 1915.
Between the 20th of August 1914 to the 23rd of May 1915, Wilfred held the rank of private. However, Wilfred then exemplified comradeship as he was was trusted enough and showed leadership to be promoted to the position of a Corporal on the 24th of May 1915, leaving him in charge of 10 men in the Infantry Battalion. Whilst having a clean record before embarking on War, Wilfred did commit a crime during War. On the 25th of March 1916, he neglected the duty of being in charge of quarter guard and was reprimanded.
Whilst the Infantry Battalion fought in the Battle of the Somme (1.7.16 – 22.7.16), Wilfred was promoted again to becoming a Sergeant, making him in charge of a Platoon in the Battalion.The Battle of the Somme was the battle of the First World War fought by armies from the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire taking place on both sides of the upper reaches of the Somme, a river in France. Whilst leaving on the 22nd there was a delay as the soldiers had to apply anti-gas helmets in protection from the Germans shelling with both poison gas + H.E shell Chlorine Gas Attacks.
Luckily, Wilfred was not wounded in the first Battle of the Somme but appeared to have suffered a GSW to the chest in France on the 25th of July, 1916 on the same day the 10th battalion was relieved by the 5th Batallion. On the 13th of August 1916 he was admitted to the 3rd Northern General hospital after this injury.
After being wounded, Wilfred received the Military Medal on the France field by the France Authority on the 7th of September in 1916. The Military Medal is medal awarded in acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire. It is a ‘military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land’. Wilfred proceeded to join the unit on the 9th of July 1917 and re-joined the 10th Battalion on 21st of July 1917. He returned back to Australia on the 8th of October 1918. After the completion of 4 years, 44 days overseas with 165 days at War, Wilfred was discharged on the 31st of Janurary 1919 after showing enterprise, courageous and patriosim throughout the years of fighting and devotion to his country.
Wilfred had been single before and during the War but after returning back to Australia, he married Doris Maude in 1919 in Willunga, and lived until the age of 76 with his memorial located in McLaren Vale.