CASEY, William John
| Service Number: | 1643 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bute, South Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Bute, Barunga West, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Circumstances of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia Section: LO, Road: 6N, Site No: 15 |
| Memorials: | Alford District of Ninnes Honour Board, Bute District Council WW1 Roll of Honor, Bute Public School Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1643, 48th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1643, 48th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 17 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1643, 48th Infantry Battalion |
Pte William John Casey
From How We Served
1643 Private William John Casey of Bute, South Australia had been employed as a laborer when he enlisted for War Service on the 17th of March 1916. Allocated to reinforcements for the 48th Battalion 1st AIIF, William departed Australia bound for Egypt and further training on the 11th of April and by the 6th of June he was being embarked for England.
William’s service was interrupted by periods of sickness following his arrival in England and would not depart for France to enter ‘The Bull Ring’ at Etaples until the 22nd of September. On the 7th of October William joined his Unit in the trenches and remained on duty until being evacuated the 25th of December after having contracted the mumps, and would be returned to Etaples to spend time being hospitalized and then sent to England as a convalescent. William was returned to his Battalion on the 3rd of December 1917, and within a fortnight he was evacuated after having been gassed.
By the 5th of May William had been returned to France where he re-joined his Unit, and would remain on duty until the 10th October when he was granted leave to return to England. Whilst on leave William again was hospitalized for ill health being diagnosed as influenza and he was finally embarked for his repatriation to Australia on the 18th of January 1919.
Having arrived from England William would be hospitalized for the effects of the gassing he had received in France and was admitted into the 7th Australian General Hospital (Keswick). William received his discharge on the 25th of May 1919 and re-entered civilian life with his untimely death occurring on the 16th of March 1924 at the age of 34.
Following his passing William was formally laid to rest within West Terrace Cemetery, South Australia.
Submitted 15 October 2019 by Evan Evans
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