GILES, William James
| Service Number: | 8009 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 March 1917, Served in Ballarat Militia. |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Tunnelling Companies |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia , 6 April 1884 |
| Home Town: | West Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Eureka State School, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness - Lobar Pneumonia, Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 17 March 1918, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tidworth Military Cemetery, England Row C, Grave No. 241, Tidworth Military Cemetery, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Mar 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 8009, Tunnelling Companies, Served in Ballarat Militia. | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, Tunnelling Companies | |
| 21 Nov 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 8009, Tunnelling Companies, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Nov 1917: | Embarked Sapper, 8009, Tunnelling Companies, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne | |
| 17 Mar 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 8009, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 8009 awm_unit: Australian Tunnelling Company awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-03-17 |
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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 – 17th March…… William James Giles was born at Ballarat, Victoria on 6th April, 1884.
William James Giles married Louisa Margaret Timms in 1905 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. They had 3 children between 1905 & 1913).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 19th March, 1917 as a 33 year old, married, Labourer from West Perth, Western Australia. According to information provided for the Roll of Honour by his wife – William James Giles had served with Ballarat Militia.
On 16th May, 1917 Private Giles was transferred to Tunnelling Company with the rank of Corporal.
Corporal (voyage only) William James Giles, Service number 8009, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Nestor (A71) on 21st November, 1917 with the Tunnelling Companies, May 1917 Reinforcements & disembarked at Suez on 15th December, 1917.
He entrained from Australian Camp at Suez for Alexandria on 4th January, 1918 & arrived at Australian Camp at Gabbary on 5th January, 1918. Corporal Giles embarked on Transport E 620 from Abbasiah on 8th January, 1918 & disembarked at Taranto on 12th January, 1918. From Taranto he disembarked at Southampton, England on 24th January, 1918.
On 24th January, 1918 Corporal (voyage only) Giles was marched in to No. 3 Camp Details at Parkhouse, Wiltshire, England from Australia. He reverted to rank of Sapper.
Sapper William James Giles was appointed E.D.P (Extra Duty Pay) Corporal on 25th January, 1918 while posted at No. 3 Camp Details at Parkhouse, Wiltshire.
He was admitted to Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England on 14th March, 1918 – dangerously ill with Pneumonia.
Corporal William James Giles died at 4.10 am on 17th March, 1918 at Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England from Lobar Pneumonia.
He was buried in Tidworth Military Cemetery, Wiltshire, England where 172 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for Corporal William James Giles contains a letter from Sister C. Upper, Tidworth Military Hospital which reads: “The above was transferred to my ward the afternoon after he was admitted into hospital with acute pneumonia. He came in to hospital at the acute stage, and told me himself, the day before he died “that he hated reporting sick” – and no doubt worked on far too long. It was impossible for him under these circumstances to pull through. Pte Giles was doing Tem. Quarter Master Sergeants Duties……”
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/g---ha.html
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