NAME: Lancelot Hamilton WILLIAMS                                                                                                            

SERVICE NO:  3156

YEAR OF BIRTH: 1890

PLACE OF BIRTH: Hamilton

DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 20 July 1915

AGE AT ENLISTMENT:  24

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:  Melbourne

UNIT: 4th Field Company Engineers (late 5th Field Company Engineers)

EMBARKED:  24 November 1915

TROOP SHIP: HMAT A40 Ceramic

FATE: Died of Wounds – 24 September 1916 – Belgium

Lancelot Hamilton Williams was the son of Henry “Harry” Joseph Williams and Amelia Tucker Yeoman.  He was born in Hamilton in 1890 and his family lived in Alexandra Parade. Henry Williams was a carpenter and when Lancelot finished at Hamilton State School, he followed his father into the trade. Lancelot was an active member of the community as a member of the rifle club, fire brigade, Presbyterian football club and angling society. He also belonged to the Masonic and Druids Lodges. With the Ancient Order of Druids, he rose through the ranks and was Arch Druid in 1911. In December 1913, “Harry” Williams passed away.

On 20 July 1915, a month short of his twenty-fifth birthday, Lancelot travelled to Melbourne to enlist.  With the 5th Field Company Engineers, he sailed on 24 November 1914 for Egypt. By March 1916, Lancelot had transferred to the 4th Field Company Engineers and on 1 June 1916, they sailed for France. Once they arrived on 9 June at Marseilles, the company boarded a train and travelled for three days to the Somme.

On 24 September, Lancelot was wounded and transferred to hospital across the border in Belgium. He died of his wounds on arrival and was buried at the Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Lancelot’s mother Amelia died on the 13 March 1917, less than six months after her son

ONLINE RESOURCES

Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour – Lancelot Hamilton Williams

Australian War Memorial – Unit Diary – 4th Field Company Engineers

Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, Belgium – Lancelot Hamilton Williams

Discovering Anzacs – WW1 Service Record – Lancelot Hamilton Williams

Newspaper Articles from Trove – Lancelot Hamilton Williams

The War Graves Photographic Project – Lancelot Hamilton Williams