DAWSON, William Albert
| Service Number: | VX117215 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 December 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, 6 September 1920 |
| Home Town: | Warrnambool, Warrnambool, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Caulfield Technical School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Stationary Salesman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, At sea (Colombo), 26 March 1944, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Brookwood Memorial, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Lieutenant, VX117215 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lieutenant, VX117215 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Shane Tobin
William (Bill) was born in Warrnambool Victoria to Harrie and Edna (nee Nylander) Dawson on 6th September, 1920. Harrie was an Army Officer originally from Ballarat, and was posted to Warrnambool when Bill was born. He had a younger sister, Unice and a younger brother, Alan.
Harrie saw service in First World War in Gallipoli and France, and indeed he lost a brother, Wallace, in an attack on Hill 60 at Gallipoli on 28th August 1915. Harrie remained in the Army until 1950, and was posted to Melbourne in 1937, and the family moved from Warrnambool to Melbourne.
Bill finished school at Caulfield Technical College and got a job at the Myer Emporium and after six months was "promoted" to Management Cadet.
When the war commenced, Bill was 19. With "Army in his blood", he immediately enlisted in the Citizens Military Force and became a part-time soldier. In 1940 he became a permanent member of the CMF, and in 1941 he was transfered to Sydney where he met his future wife, Peggy.