HALVORSEN, William Alroe
| Service Number: | 2552 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia, 20 December 1895 |
| Home Town: | Midland Junction, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Midland Junction State School, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Telegraphist |
| Died: | Perth, Western Australia, 18 July 1989, aged 93 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Midland Church of The Ascension Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2552, 28th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Oct 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 28th Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement 2552, 28th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked 2552, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Fremantle | |
| 3 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 14 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 27 Apr 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 7 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
Help us honour William Alroe Halvorsen's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Bill Halvorsen enlisted at 19 years of age in Western Australia. His father was Danish but had arrived in Australia around 1882. William Halvorsen was six feet in height when he enlisted and stated he had been in Geraldton, Western Australia. He worked as a highly respected telegraphist in the Postal Department, at both at Midland Junction and the Perth G.P.O.
He was posted to the 51st Battalion in Egypt and soon after they arrived in France he promoted to Second Lieutenant.
He was reported as killed in action during the heavy fighting at Mouquet Farm on the 3 September 1916. In fact, his death was reported in the local newspapers of Midland Junction, Western Australia, in late September 1916, and expressions of sympathy were sent to his parents and family. His service file contains a copy of his death certificate.
During late early November 1916 the information emerged that Halvorsen had been captured by the Germans, badly wounded, and was a prisoner of war in that country. A German notification exists in his service file which lists his wounds as “four in left arm, one in left leg, one in the stomach, bullet wound chest, bullet wound head.”
Halvorsen wrote to his parents from a prisoner of war camp shortly after and explained what had occurred, “We attacked at 5.30 a.m., and took the place, advancing about 500 yards and then had to dig in. Just as we started to dig a field gun's shrapnel hit me in the stomach, leg (near groin), arm, and head. Of course, I was knocked out and lost a lot of blood. I could not go back, as the artillery fire was too great, so I stayed in a shell hole, and while there was hit by shrapnel again near the shoulder and on the arm. I was then too weak and stiff to move, so had to stay. When the counter-attack came we were too weak to hold our line, so tried to get back. I thought it better to make an effort to escape certain capture, and with difficulty crawled from my shell hole to another and was shot through the left side. Altogether I had nine wounds, so you can see I had more than my fair ration, but I am thankful to God that He spared me that I may soon hope to return to my family for good.”
Halvorsen was repatriated to England in early 1919 and returned to Australia soon after. He went on to have a long and distinguished career with the Postmaster General's Department in Western Australia and retired in 1960 as Director, Posts and Telegraphs. He passed away in 1989 at the age of 94.
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