Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William (Bill) was the second son (of Andrew John & Elizabeth Ann Beer) born on the 28/3/1895 at Muldoona Street, Carlton, Kilkenny. His Father had just left prior to his birth for New Residence (in the Riverland of SA). His Mother and brother George lived at Carlton, Kilkenny at this time.

Some confusion reigns within the family as to Bill's correct third name, Carlton or Colton.

Bill must have considered it to be Colten, as he signed all his enlistment papers for the army as such, but his birth certificate sighted at the Hindmarsh Library shows it as Carlton. In correspondence to the War Department form his Father, he refers to it as Carlton also. One thought is that the name was given as the place that they lived at the time of his birth.

After his birth, at about end of April, his mother took George and he up to live at New Residence with their father, where they stayed till 1899.

The family was living in College Street, Port Adelaide when Bill started school which was on the 2/4/1900 at the Port Adelaide Primary School. He left school on the 5/9/1907 to go out to work.

Little is known of Bills working life, but on his Attestation paper on entering the army he wrote that was a horse driver by trade.

At the age of 16 1/2 he joined the Navy Reserve at Port Adelaide and was still serving at the time of his enlistment into the army.

On the 14/6/1915 (on the same day as his brother George), Bill enlisted into the A.I.F. at Keswick, aged 20 and 3/4 years, his service number being 4142.

On the 11/1/1916 Bill embarked from Adelaide aboard H.M.A.T. A30 BORDA and arrived at Tel el Kebir on 29/2/1916. He served in that location until 4/6/1916 when he left Alexandria bound Marseille, arriving there one week later on the 11/6/1916.

Just one year and two days later, on 13/06/1917, he was killed in Belgium, just across the France/Belgium border, by a high energy shell.

An account of Bill's death which came from Arthur Simpson's, great-uncle, (wild) Harry Parsons. He says that a load of ammunition was needed to be pushed further up to the front lines and the soldier assigned to the job refused to go, so Bill volunteered. It was then that he and his cargo took a direct hit from a high energy shell.

Bill was buried in St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery, which is at Ploegsteert in Belgium, about two miles west of Messines.

Bill's plot there is No. 11, Row R, Grave 1

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
LEST WE FORGET

(Text copied from 'The Beer Family of Yatala Plains, South Australia, 1883-1997', Pages 42-43, Published by Faye Larsen, 1998, ISBN 0 646 35245 8)

Age: 20 years 9 months

Height: 5 feet 10 1/2 inches

Weight: 182 lbs.

Chest Measurement: 36.5~38.5 in.

Complexion: Fresh

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Religious Denomination: Church of England

Distinctive Marks: Vision R 6/6 L 6/6
Vaccinations NIL
Tattoo Left Forearm
Car on Right Calf