HASKINS, William
| Service Number: | 2818 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 October 1916, Brisbane, Qld. |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 42nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, 12 September 1891 |
| Home Town: | Redcliffe, Moreton Bay, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Humpybong State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Natural causes, Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, 22 June 1966, aged 74 years |
| Cemetery: |
Redcliffe Cemetery, Qld Section 3, Row M, Plot 1. |
| Memorials: | Redcliffe Humpybong Roll of Honor, Woody Point Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Brisbane, Qld. | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Dec 1916: | Embarked Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Sydney | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Warneton, GSW left shoulder | |
| 25 Jun 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Shrapnel wound left leg | |
| 12 Aug 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion, The Battle of Amiens, Proyart, GSW arm | |
| 29 Jan 1919: | Honoured Military Medal, The Battle of Amiens, For gallantry and devotion to duty in operations at Proyart Ridge on 12 August 1918, despite being wounded twice and blown over by a shell blast, he continued to advance with another platoon and engaged an enemy machine with rifle fire. With stretcher bearers wounded, he volunteered to carry out a very heavy man under intense machine gun and ground shrapnel fire over 2.5 kilometres to the Regimental Aid Post. | |
| 15 Aug 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 2818, 42nd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
William Haskins was born at Humpybong in 1891 the son of Thomas Haskins and Margaret Whelan, a well-known pioneer family. William attended Humpybong State School and he enlisted in October 1916. He appears to have led a charmed life in the trenches. Wounded in several battles in France he was awarded the Military Medal, the citation reading:
On 12th August, 1918, during operations on the Somme, near Proyart, when the Battalion was advancing on Proyart Ridge, this man was severely wounded, and after having the wound dressed he continued the advance but was immediately again wounded. After receiving further attention he advanced with his Company until blown over with a shell. He continued to advance with the remainder of another Platoon and engaged enemy machine gun with rifle fire. Stretcher bearers being wounded he volunteered to carry out a very heavy man, and did so under intense machine gun and ground shrapnel fire, bringing the wounded man two and a half kilometres to the RAP. [Commonwealth Gazette No 61, dated 23 May 1919].
William was finally discharged in August 1920 and returned to life on the farm at Redcliffe. Not long after his return he broke his leg in a riding accident. It was discovered that a piece of shrapnel had lodged close to the bone in the broken leg which ultimately led to an amputation of the leg below the knee. William married Emily Eliza Trinder in 1925.
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