Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

These two young men have been interesting to research as their family lived at both Memerambi and Wooroolin. Their parents William & Josephina Pugh arrived at Memerambi about 1911 when their eldest son, David, was enrolled at Memerambi School. By 1916 the family were living at Wooroolin and their daughters Gwyen, Della & Sarah were enrolled at Wooroolin School on 1 Oct 1917. Their address on School records shows as “Greenmount” and they are shown as living on Por 248v on the wonderful survey map from Ivan Ritchings and his Mum. This property is near the Gustafson/Kerkow land. William was enrolled at Wooroolin West School when it opened in 1929. He was probably at Home Creek School before that. The story of education for children living out West Wooroolin way was one of determination by the parents to educate their children.
William Henary Pugh, known as Bill, was born 5 Nov 1915 at Kingaroy. His schooling a combination of Home Creek and Wooroolin West Schools. He would have left school by the time he was 14 years old and probably worked as a farm labourer. He has the same name as his father and the first time I see 2 x William Henary Pugh on the Electoral Roll is 1943 when young Bill was 21 in 1936! His army records show he was living at Mulgeldie up near Monto when he enlisted at Gympie in 1941.
Thanks to Lloyd Stumer we know that Bill Pugh was a member of the 5th Light Horse Regiment with his friends the Stumer Bros, Frank & Bernie and Les Freeman. During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, adopting the designation of the "Wide Bay and Burnett Light Horse (QMI)". It was later converted to a motor regiment during the early years of the Second World War but it was disbanded in mid-1943 without having been deployed overseas.
An article in the Maryborough Chronicle, Tuesday 27 September 1938 - Page 8 provides lots of info about a Regimental Colours presentation and consecration weekend ceremony. Perhaps the photo of him with his friends shared by Lloyd Stumer was taken at this event!
Bill is shown as having enlisted in the 2/12 Australian Infantry on 21 Dec 1941, aged 26. He would have been involved in their battles at New Guinea and Balikpapan. The AWM collection includes a story on the movements of the infantry during WW11 and they were involved in some difficult battles at Buna and Sanananda.
Bills niece, Jeanette Sharp, informed me that her Uncle spent time on the Kokoda Track in NG. The Kokoda Track marks the course of one of the most important battles for Australians in the Second World War. Between 21 July and 16 November 1942, the Australian Army halted the furthermost southward advance by Japanese forces in Papua New Guinea and then pushed the enemy back across the mountains. It is one of the most striking places of Australian wartime history that can be visited. More than 600 Australians died, and more than 1000 were wounded in the four months of fighting in the vicinity of the Kokoda Track. Casualties due to sickness exceeded 4000. Those Australians who died on the Track are buried at the Bomana War Cemetery outside Port Moresby.
Bill married Constance Simpson in 1943 probably in Gympie as that is where her parents lived and where he trained in the Light Horse! In 1954 Bill and Constance were farming at Bells Bridge, north of Gympie. They had moved to the Bowen area by 1958 where they lived out the rest of their life. Bill died in 2000 and is buried at Bowen General Cemetery where he joined his wife who died 4 years prior.
David Lloyd Pugh, born 21 Apr 1902 at Gympie was enrolled at Memerambi School in 1911. David is mentioned in this extract from Memerambi Moments “Several students were not attending as regularly as they should. When David Pugh was absent for 4 straight days, without an acceptable excuse, his father, William Henry Pugh, a farmer at Memerambi was told that keeping a 10 year old child at home was wrong. The remarks stated quite firmly that the parents were not so poor as to need the child’s labour to the neglect of his education”. He is shown as living at Wooroolin on the electoral Rolls in the 1920’s working as a Farm Hand and would have being doing from when he was 14 years old and younger.
He married Rose Evelyn Sorensen on 5 Oct 1927 and their daughters attended Memerambi School at the same time as my Mum, Dulcie, and are included in school photos with her in Memerambi Moments page 65 & 66. David was living at Memerambi on 16 Sep 1941, aged 39, when he joined the Australian Army at Maryborough, therefore his name is not on the Wooroolin WW11 Honour Board!
At the time of his discharge Lloyd was in the 1 Aust Adv W/Craft Wk/Shops AEME! The AEME, Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was formed in December 1942, at Harristown, Toowoomba to maintain and repair the Army’s technical equipment. The role of the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was and still is to ensure maximum operational availability of equipment to enable the commander to win the land battle. His records are not yet available on the NAA website so we don’t know if he also served overseas.
Lloyd was discharged on 1 Nov 1945 and by 1949 he was living in the Margate area and did so for the rest of his life. Lloyd died in 1982 and his wife joined him 7 years later.
Lest We Forget