ATKINSON, William
| Service Number: | 2552 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Carlow, Queen's County, Ireland, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Annandale, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | National School, Bilboa, Ireland. |
| Occupation: | Tram guard |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 27 April 1918, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Grave II. A. 3. INSCRIPTION TILL WE MEET AGAIN FATHER , Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 2552, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 2552, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Sydney | |
| 27 Apr 1918: | Involvement Private, 2552, 53rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2552 awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-27 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
William ATKINSON, (Service Number 2552) who was born on 2 October 1892, at Carlow in Ireland, spent the whole of his NSWGR&T career as a tram conductor working out of Waverley Depot. For the first two years from November 1913 he had been casually employed, only becoming a permanent employee, formally, after he had enlisted in the Expeditionary Forces in June 1915.
He joined the 53rd Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt early in 1916, and then served in France. He spent much of the next three years in hospital with various diseases, and was killed in action in France on 27 April 1918. He was buried in an isolated grave a mile west of Hamel, but after the war was exhumed and now rests in the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial Cemetery.
(NAA B2455-7499608)
Submitted 9 May 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
53rd Bn and 1st Battalion, 8th Reinforcement.Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
He was 23 and the son of Samuel and Jeanie [Jane?] Atkinson, of Hillview, Bilboa, Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland.
Bilboa is located on the boundaries of County Laois, Carlow and Kilkenny.
The little settlement at Bilboa was originally based around coal and coal mining.
Age on arrival in Australia-21
Enlistment date-14 June 1915
Place of enlistment-Liverpool, New South Wales
Rank on enlistment-Private
Unit name-1st Battalion, 8th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number 23/18/2
Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A54 Runic on 9 August 1915
Age at embarkation-23
Unit from Nominal Roll-53rd Battalion
Other details from Roll of Honour Circular:
Before leaving for Australia he was a crack shot with a shotgun, was fond of riding horses was a fairly good photographer.
War service: Egypt, Western Front
Joined 1st Bn, Tel-el-Kebir, 5 February 1916. Transferred to 53rd Bn, Tel-el-Kebir, 13 February 1916; taken on strength of 53rd Bn, 14 February 1916.
Admitted 3rd Field Ambulance, 14 February 1916; discharged to unit, 18 February 1916.
Admitted to 14th Field Ambulance, Tel-el-Kebir, 8 March 1916; transferred to 2nd Stationary Hospital, 10 March 1916 (otitis media); discharged to unit, 24 March 1916.
To hospital sick, 12 June 1916; admitted to 1st Auxiliary Hospital, 13 June 1916 (tonsilitis); discharged to duty, 21 June 1916.
Embarked Alexandria on HMT 'Arcadian' and proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Force, 29 July 1916; disembarked Southampton, 9 August 1916; marched into 14th Training Bn, Hurdcott, from hospital, 21 August 1916. Proceeded to France, 16 September 1916; marched into 5th Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 17 September 1916; moved into the field, 28 September 1916; rejoined unit from hospital, 30 September 1916.
Admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 15 June 1917, and transferred to 5th Divisional Rest Station (herpes zester); admitted to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, 17 June 1917; to Ambulance Train, 15 July 1917; admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen, 16 July 1917. Embarked on HS 'Western Australia' and proceeded to England for further treatment, 20 July 1917; admitted to Military Hospital, Tooting, 22 July 1917 (severe tuberculosis); transferred to 1st Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, 28 July 1917; discharged on furlough, 10 August 1917. Marched into No 2 Command Depot, Weymouth, 24 August 1917; marched into No 4 Command Depot, Codford, 4 September 1917; marched into Overseas Training Brigade, Perham Downs, 15 September 1917.
Proceeded to France through Southampton, 16 October 1917; marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Havre, 17 October 1917; moved into the field, 21 October 1917; rejoined unit from hospital, 26 October 1917.
Killed in action, 27 April 1918. Buried in isolated grave 1 mile West of Hamel, and 1.75 miles East South-East of Corbiebut grave subsequently lost/destroyed.
William is honoured on the Carlow Great War Memorial/Leighlinbridge Memorial Garden in Milford Street, Leighlinbridge, County Carlow.
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