NAME:  William John AUSTIN                                                                                                                       

SERVICE NO:  1033

YEAR OF BIRTH:  1895

PLACE OF BIRTH: Hamilton

DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 10 September 1914

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT: Morphettville, South Australia

AGE AT ENLISTMENT:  20

UNIT: 4th Field Ambulance, Section B

EMBARKED:  22 December 1914

TROOPSHIP: TRANSPORT A35 Berrima

FATE: Died of Influenza – 11 October 1918 – England

William John Austin was the son of a carpenter, Jonathan William Austin and Jane McQueen. He was born in Hamilton in 1895 and the family lived in Goldsmith Street. William attended Hamilton State School and then moved to Adelaide to take up work for Messrs. Stanley Mullen & Co. as a commercial traveller. In 1914, William married Gertrude Kirby of Leongatha.

On 10 September 1914, William enlisted at Morphettville in Adelaide and left Australia with the South Australian contingent of the 4th Field Ambulance, arriving at Alexandria, Egypt in early 1915. The 4th Field Ambulance was part of the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. It was at Gallipoli that William was shot in the shoulder, damaging his lung. It was then persistent health problems began.

On 26 May 1916, while in France, William gained a promotion to Corporal. Although he had issues with bronchitis and other illnesses, William was still fit for active service and was moved to headquarters in Rouen, France.

By this time, William’s younger brother Glenister had disembarked for France. Another of William’s family to enlist was his maternal uncle, George McQueen, serving with the 14th Battalion. Lieutenant McQueen of Hamilton was killed in France on 29 March 1917.

As the war drew to a close, William was in England and set to return home. However, he fell ill and was hospitalised with influenza, which claimed his life on 11 October 1918. He was buried in the Harefield (St Mary) Churchyard in Middlesex England.

William’s brother Glenister returned to Australia in January 1920. While Glenister was at sea, the Defence Department received a letter from William’s widow Gertrude. She wanted to know Glenister’s whereabouts. She received the information that he would be back in Australia the following month.

William was remembered in Hamilton on the Borough of Hamilton WW1 Honour Roll.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Australian War Memorial – Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files – William John Austin

Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour – William John Austin

Australian War Memorial – WW1 Embarkation Roll – William John Austin

Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Harefield Churchyard, England – William John Austin

Discovering Anzacs – WW1 Service Record – William John Austin

Five Months at Anzac: 4th Field Ambulance – Digger History

The AIF Project – William John Austin

The War Graves Photographic Project – Harefield Churchyard, England – William John Austin