WILSON, William James
| Service Number: | 6971 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 August 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 23rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia, 15 April 1886 |
| Home Town: | South Melbourne, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Chauffeur |
| Died: | Illness, No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall, Middlesex, England, 8 November 1918, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Plot IV, Row J, Grave No. 14 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, South Melbourne Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Aug 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6971, 23rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 1917: | Involvement Private, 6971, 23rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Nov 1917: | Embarked Private, 6971, 23rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne | |
| 4 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 6971, 23rd Infantry Battalion, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory, GSW to left knee, 11/7/1918, left leg amputated DOW - Illness England |
Help us honour William James Wilson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 8th November…… William James Wilson was born at Clifton Hill, Victoria on 15th April, 1886.
He married Catherine Mary McMahon on 5th December, 1906 in Melbourne, Victoria. They had 5 children (the first born – born 1908 – died in 1909).
William James Wilson enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 9th August, 1917 as a 31 year old, married, Chauffeur from South Melbourne, Victoria.
On 21st November, 1917 Private Wilson, service number 6971, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Nestor (A71) on 21st November, 1917 with the 23rd Infantry Battalion, 20th Reinforcements & disembarked at Suez on 15th December, 1917 for Australian Camp.
He entrained for embarkation at Gabbary (?) on 5th January, 1918 then embarked for overseas on H.M.T. Abbassieh on 8th January, 1918 & disembarked at Taranto, Italy on 13th January, 1918. Private Wilson was left in Isolation at Cherbourg on 22nd January, 1918.
Private Wilson was marched in to 6th Training Battalion at Fovant, Wiltshire, England on 18th February, 1918.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 22nd April, 1918 Private Wilson was marched in to 5th Training Battalion at Fovant from 6th Training Battalion.
He proceeded overseas to France from Fovant on 20th May, 1918. He was marched in to A.I.B.D. (Australian Infantry Base Depot) at Havre, France on 22nd May, 1918. Private Wilson was marched out from A.I.B.D. on 24th May, 1918 & was taken on strength of 23rd Battalion in France on 26th May, 1918 from Reinforcements.
Private William James Wilson was wounded in action on 4th July, 1918. He was admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance on 4th July, 1918 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Knee then transferred to 5th Casualty Clearing Station. Private Wilson was transferred to 9th USA General Hospital at Rouen, France on 8th July, 1918. He was invalided to England on 10th July, 1918.
He was admitted to 5th Southern General Hospital at Portsmouth, England on 11th July, 1918 – left Leg amputated – severe. Private Wilson was transferred to Adhurst St Mary Red Cross Hospital on 18th July, 1918. He was transferred to 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall, Middlesex on 23rd August, 1918.
A Medical Report was completed on Private William James Wilson on 23rd August, 1918. His disability was listed as Amputation Left Leg (above knee) which had occurred on 4th July, 1918 at Villers Bretonneux, France. “GSW through & through causing comminuted fracture of lower end of femur involving knee joint. Leg amputated same day.” His present condition was “Stump healed”. The Officer in charge of the Medical Case recommended that Private Wilson be discharged as permanently unfit & to be transferred to Australia. The Medical Board decided on 28th August, 1918 that Private William James Wilson was permanently unfit for General & Home Service.
On 12th September, 1918 Private Wilson was discharged to furlo & was to report back to 2nd Auxiliary Hospital on 26th September, 1918.
Private William James Wilson died at 3.45 pm on 8th November, 1918 at No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall, Middlesex, England from Broncho Pneumonia.
He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/tu---z.html
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