BAIN, William Alexander
| Service Number: | 3351 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 July 1917, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 60th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Terang, Vic., 1877 |
| Home Town: | Derrinallum, Corangamite, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Derrinallum State School |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 9 August 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Camperdown War Memorial, Derrinallum & District WW1 Roll of Honor, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jul 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3351, 60th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1917: | Involvement Private, 3351, 60th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Jul 1917: | Embarked Private, 3351, 60th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Sydney |
Help us honour William Alexander Bain's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Kay Bell
Son of George and Hanna BAIN, Derrinallum, Vic.
Husband of Maria BAIN, Cape Clear near Ballarat, Vic.
W.A. BAIN William Alexander BAIN 3351 embarked with the 60th Battalion, 9th Reinforcement from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A16 Port Melbourne on 16 July 1917.
He was the older brother to R.M.BAIN and therefore also the son of George and Hannah BAIN, born at Terang, educated at Derrinallum.
His story is very different to his little brother. William was married 1905 to Marie RUMBLE and had a family which included a newborn child in May 1917. They were living in Cape Clear at the time of his enlistment.
It was a complicated enlistment which caused ongoing issues for Maria. He had enlisted in 1915 at Stawell as William Bain, was put in detention for 14 days, which he broke after a week. He then enlisted as Walter Alexander 30/4/1917 at Horsham and was presumably identified as William Alexander Bain. William falsely claimed to be single on these forms, he made a statement to this effect on 16/5/17 to the Military Police and stressed I want to go to the front.
He was reported wounded to his wife Maria BAIN on 26/8/1918 but this was later modified to Killed In Action 9/8/18.
He is commemorated at Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France but has
No known grave - "Known Unto God"