LEHANE, William
| Service Number: | 2636 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 June 1915, Place of Enlistment, Brisbane, Queensland. |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 4th Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia, 10 September 1892 |
| Home Town: | Port Douglas, Cairns, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Mareeba State School Mareeba, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 18 September 1918, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brie British Cemetery, Picardie, France Brie British Cemetery, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cairns Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2636, 9th Infantry Battalion, Place of Enlistment, Brisbane, Queensland. | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 2636, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 2636, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Brisbane | |
| 4 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 18 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 13th Machine Gun Company | |
| 9 Apr 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal | |
| 9 Jun 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2636, 13th Machine Gun Company | |
| 16 Jun 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 13th Machine Gun Company | |
| 4 Apr 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 4th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| 5 Sep 1918: | Honoured Military Medal | |
| 18 Sep 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 2636, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2636 awm_unit: 4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-09-18 |
William Lehane
William Lehane was born in Port Douglas but moved to Ipswich as a miner before enlisting in June 1915 at age 22. He was transferred from the 9th Battalion to the 13th Machine Gun Company in the 49th Battalion fighting on the Western Front. During the conflicts he was promoted from Private to Lance Corporal to Corporal then Sergeant in March 1918. He was hospitalised with a wound to the right knee in June 1917 and wounded in fierce action in September 1918; he did not survive this, dying on 18 September 1918. We do not know details of the action but Sergeant Lehane undoubtedly acted in a brave and self-sacrificing way - he was awarded the Military Medal on 5th September and the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 18th October 1918. Medals and effects were sent to his mother, Mrs Phillips of Wondecla near Herberton.
Courtesy of The Port Douglas Historical Society.
Submitted 24 March 2021 by Lynette Turner
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