GRAY, William John
| Service Numbers: | 16054, V82385 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 May 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Warrant Officer Class 2 |
| Last Unit: | Lines of Communication Units |
| Born: | NEWMARKET, VIC, 16 December 1892 |
| Home Town: | Euroa, Strathbogie, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Jockey/Works Foreman |
| Died: | Illness, 115th Australian General Hospital (Heidelberg), Melbourne, Australia, 29 March 1946, aged 53 years |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale War Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Euroa Telegraph Park |
World War 1 Service
| 18 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 16054, 1st Signal Squadron | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1916: | Involvement Driver, 16054, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Mooltan embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 22 Aug 1916: | Embarked Driver, 16054, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, RMS Mooltan, Melbourne | |
| 26 Jun 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Corporal, 1st Signal Squadron | |
| 27 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Second Corporal, 16054, 1st Signal Squadron, 2nd MD |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Warrant Officer Class 2, V82385 | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Dec 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Warrant Officer Class 2, V82385, Lines of Communication Units |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From How We Served
The final resting place for; - 16054 & V82385 Warrant Officer Class 2 William John Gray of Euroa and Healesville, Victor who before his enlistment for War Service on the 18th of May 1916, had been employed as a jockey.
William was allocated to reinforcements for the 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, and was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 22nd of August.
Following his arrival, William was mustered as a Driver and was officially taken on strength with his Unit on the 11th of October. William service in the campaigning against the Turkish Forces would be continuous, and would see his Unit being one of the few Australian formations to be sent to serve in Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq), and with New Zealand signalers, would be combined to serve as the 1st ANZAC Wireless Squadron, and serve in support of ‘Dunsterforce’.
With the end of hostilities, William, who had been promoted to 2nd Corporal, was serving in Baghdad, and from here he would begin his repatriation back to Australia, departing for India from Basra on the 26th of February 1919.
From India William embarked for Australia, where he safely arrived on the 19th of April 1919, and following his return from the ‘Great War’ he received his official discharge from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 27th of May 1919.
With the outbreak of a Second World War, William again presented himself for service with the Australian Military Forces, when he sought re-enlistment on the 28th of December 1939. William was accepted for full-time duty with the Australian Army Medical Corps, and by the 28th of July 1942, he had been transferred to Head Quarters Victorian Lines of Communication Area.
Still serving with this Unit, William was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 2 on the 15th of October 1943. With the War’s end in 1945, William was still serving with the Australian Military Forces, when he was evacuated to the 115th Australian General Hospital (Heidelberg) on the 22nd of March 1946, and whilst still be treated he succumbed to illness on the 29th of March 1946, at the age of 57.
Following his passing, Warrant Officer Class 2 William Gray, who had chosen to serve Australia during two world wars’, was formally laid to rest within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.
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