Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Skewes Priestley

William Skewes Priestley was born on 1 December 1873 at Moonta, South Australia, the son of John Henry Priestley and Mary Skewes. He was a 42-year-old pharmacist when he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 15 November 1916. His service number was 3193. Priestley had previously served for two years with the South Australian Mounted Rifles. He listed his next of kin as his wife, Bertha Evelyn Priestley (née Tyrell) (1871-1957). They married in Adelaide, South Australia, on 3 May 1900 and had one daughter, Maxine Bertha Priestley (1903-1975).

He embarked for overseas service as a member of the 8th Reinforcements, 48th Battalion, AIF, from Fremantle aboard HMAT A35 Berrima on 23 December 1916, disembarking at Plymouth, England, on 16 February 1917. On 6 March 1917, he was sent to the 12th Training Battalion at Codford. However, rather than continuing to France as a reinforcement for the 48th Battalion, on 13 April 1917, he was transferred to the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC). His training as a pharmacist meant he was more valuable to the AIF in the AAMC.

On 7 May 1917, Priestley was attached for temporary duty to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (2nd AAH) in London. On 1 November 1917, he was promoted to Temporary Sergeant. He remained on the strength of the 2nd AAH, where, on 8 February 1918, he was assigned to the X-ray department. The 2nd AAH was a 237-bed hospital that specialised in fitting artificial limbs.

On 26 October 1918, Priestley was moved to the Australian Flying Corps Hospital at Tetbury, where he was promoted to Temporary Staff Sergeant on 14 December 1918. However, he was clearly dissatisfied with the lack of recognition from the AIF for his pharmaceutical skills. On 19 March 1919, the Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia wrote to the Senior Pharmacist, Headquarters, Perth, on his behalf. Priestley must have reached out to the Registrar, requesting support for greater acknowledgment of his expertise. The letter included the following extract from Priestley:

"My qualifications as a Pharmacist have never been considered by the Military Authorities. I enlisted in the A.I.F. in November 1916. Upon my arrival in England, my experience of X-ray work proved of value, and I was transferred to the A.A.M.C. and put to work on one of the X-Ray plants, where I remained for 18 months. At the end of that period, I sought recognition of my Pharmacists status. This brought to me a removal to a small outlying hospital with a promise of S/Sgt’s rank. The removal came to pass O.K., but the position proved elusive. In any action you take, the following information will be necessary.

From Southall No. 2 Auxiliary Hospital, where I was Temporary Sgt. and X-Ray attendant, I was transferred to Tetbury Australian Flying Corps Hospital, to take the position of S/Sgt Dispenser and X-Ray attendant on Oct. 26th 1918. A report on my marching-in State was sent to Head Office by the Officer Commanding, but since then I have again been forgotten. I shall appreciate any effort you make on my behalf.”

Priestley’s rank was eventually made permanent on 5 March 1919. He returned to Australia aboard Kaiser-I-Hind as part of the nursing staff on 6 May 1919. Priestley was discharged from the AIF in Perth on 4 August 1919. As he did not serve in an active theatre of war, the British War Medal was his sole medal entitlement.

William Priestley died in Perth, Western Australia, on 29 May 1953. There is a plaque in the Western Australia Garden of Remembrance commemorating his service.