Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Ernest Aslat joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the 19th of October 1914 at the age of 26. He was born and raised in Islington, son of Richard Tom Aslat and Sarah Kerswell, and he was a believer in the Church of England. He was a Railway Engineer working for S.H. Railways at Islington for 5 years before joining the AIF. He served as part of the 11th Light Horse Regiment for 5 years before the war began.

His physical attributes are listed below:

Height - 5ft 11in                                          Weight - 69.85 kg

Hair colour – Brown                                   Eye colour - Grey

Aslat signed up for the AIF on the 19th of October 1914, in Morphettville, South Australia as a Private. Aslat trained in Melbourne with the 9th Light Horse and embarked from Australia to Gallipoli on the HMAT Karoo, which departed from Melbourne on the 11th of February 1915.

Aslat landed at Gallipoli on the 16th of May 1915, then marched out to Anzac Cove where he engaged in the latter end of the battle of Hill 60. He was hospitalised in Malta with a wound to his right knee on the 4th of June. He was diagnosed with a fractured rib on the 24th of July, and developed synovitis in August.

Aslat was transferred and admitted to the Southern General Hospital in England on the 19th of September. Once he recovered he was sent to Base Depot. In February 1916 he was arrested by the London civil police and spent 5 days in prison for breaking camp, leading to an Army reprimand of 115 days unpaid and 42 days in detention. He was absent without leave several times and received another 9 days of no pay, 13 days of detention, and he had to pay his court fees. During his recuperation in England he married Kate Hayes 10 May 1916.

After all of the penalties, he disembarked for Alexandria on the 30th of June 1916 and returned to duty. He detached from the Light Horse into the Imperial Camel Corps on the 9th of September and marched out to Abbassia. He then was diagnosed with Otitis Media in 1916 December and was transported to on-field hospitals in the city of Arish. After healing, he left to go to Alexandria for three days to take an artificer's test to get his 2nd class engineer's certificate.

A letter from the officer in charge of the base records in Melbourne (trying to ascertain his qualifications) states that they are checking if Aslat received a 2nd class engineer certificate. The Chief Inspector of Factories and Steam Boilers responds, saying that he completed the test but did not get the achievement.

Aslat joined the Camel Corps on the 3rd of March 1917. He was hospitalised on the 27th March in the Sinai Plains for Myalgia and then diagnosed with a shock injury to his back. He was diagnosed with a back contusion (back bruise) on the 1st of April and transferred to a hospital in Ismailia. He was then transported to a hospital in Alexandria. He was treated for a dislocated leg on the 21st of April and was transported to another hospital in Abbassia, where he was treated for a second leg injury on the 18th of May.

He was admitted to a hospital in Choubra for Diphtheria on the 29th of June, and diagnosed with Tonsillitis on the 6th of July, and Neurasthenia on 5th of August. He was then transferred to Port Said on the 2nd of November for rest, and marched out to the SS Wiltshire on the 11th of November, finally destined home to Australia.

After being discharged for being medically unfit, William Aslat returned to Australia on 12th November 1917 at the age of 30 after spending 2 years and 311 days abroad, and a total of 3 years and 108 days in active service. He died on 17th December 1957 at age 70.