Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Campbell Sawers was born on 10th March 1886 at Woollahra NSW, the 2nd youngest of 5 children and the youngest of 3 sons born to his parents James and Elizabeth Sawers.  He also had a half-sister born in 1920.  His older brother Bowie, a promising medical student, died in 1902 aged 20. 

William attended Scotch College in Melbourne from 1904-1905.  This was an independent Presbyterian boys boarding school and he played in the first football team for the College in 1905.  He then spent some time at Ormond College which was part of the University of Melbourne Campus before commencing medical studies at the University of Melbourne in 1906.  He graduated with a MB and BS in 1910.  He registered as a Medical Practitioner in Victoria on 6th September 1911 and then took up an appointment as Junior Resident Medical Officer at Perth Public Hospital on 9th August 1911.  He later practiced at Perth Children’s Hospital before being appointed as House Surgeon at the Fremantle Public Hospital on 1st January 1914.  He played for the King’s Park Tennis Club till October 1914 when he enlisted for WW1.

Lieutenant Colonel Alan E Randall, the Principal Medical Officer for the 5th Military District (WA), wrote to Lieutenant Colonel White, the Commanding Officer of 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital (2nd ASH), asking for William to be employed on medical work at Guildford Remount Depot in WA.  Subsequently William was asked to join the 2nd ASH for the purpose of gaining experience and he entered Blackboy Hill Camp on 12th October 1914 where he enlisted and given the rank of Captain.  The Unit embarked on the 14th December 1914 from Fremantle on HMAT Kyarra bound for Egypt. 

Upon arrival in Egypt in January 1915 William and the 2nd ASH proceeded to Mena Camp.  They remained there until June when they moved to East Mudros on Lemnos Island where they treated the wounded from Gallipoli.  William became ill with a fever of unknown origin and was admitted to the 2nd ASH on 14th July then transferred to the 1st ASH on 3rd August.  He was then evacuated to Egypt on HMAT Marathon arriving at Alexandria on 2nd September 1915.  Two weeks later he was transferred to the Enteric Convalescent Camp at Port Said then evacuated to England on the hospital ship Brasile in early October.  He was admitted to the 3rd General London Hospital at Wandsworth on 15th October where he convalesced before re-joining his Unit, the 2nd ASH, at Mudros on 2nd December 1915. 

With the evacuation of the troops from Gallipoli in late December, the 2nd ASH moved back to Egypt.  They disembarked off HMHS Dunvegan Castle at Alexandria on 21st January 1916 and proceeded to join the 1st Australian Division at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. 

On 2nd February 1916 William was transferred to the 3rd Field Ambulance (3rd FA) at Tel-el-Kebir Camp where he served with my grandfather, Cyril Morsley.  William and the 3rd FA embarked from Alexandria on 27th March on HMT Kingstonian and disembarked at Marseilles, France on 3rd April.  During the voyage they lost a man overboard. 

Upon arrival in France they proceeded to Sailly where they remained till July 1916.  Over the next 2 months the Unit moved regularly throughout northern France and by the end of August had made their way to Proven in Belgium.  On 9th September 1916 he was unsuccessfully recommended for a Military Cross.  The recommendation states:  

“During the period 1.3.1916 to 1.9.1916 this Officer had performed consistent good work with his Unit, being at all times most diligent in looking after the welfare if his men.  When in charge of stretcher bearers during the recent operations on the Somme he worked most efficiently in clearing a very exposed area and attending wounded under shell fire.”

In October the Unit back across the border to several locations in France and on the 19th William was detached for duty as the Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) to the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion stationed in the Ypres sector in Belgium.  On 14th November William was promoted to Major and 2 weeks later was transferred to the 14th Field Ambulance which was part of the 5th Australian Division.  They were stationed at Becordel-Becourt. 

William went on leave to England in January 1917 and re-joined the 14th FA at Buire in France in mid-February.  In April 1917 he fell ill again with a fever of unknown origin.  He was transferred to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station at Dernacourt and then transferred to the British 14th General Hospital at Wimereux.  He was evacuated on HMHS Cambria to England on 9th April and admitted the following day to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth with pneumonia.  He was there for a month before being discharged and re-joined his Unit, the 14th FA, at Aveluy in France. 

In early October William was detached for duty at the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2nd AGH) at Wimereux.  He re-joined the 14th FA at Daours in late April 1918.  A month later he attended the gas school for 5 days then re-joined his Unit.  On the 7th July 1918 he was recommended unsuccessfully for the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).  The recommendation mentions William "showed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 4th July 1918 between Buire-sur-I’Ancre and Sailly-le-Sec when in charge of the whole forward area for the evacuation of the wounded.  He repeatedly visited all the most forward posts under heavy shell fire without any regard at all for his own personal safety.  He proceeded to any post where there was any difficulty in clearing the wounded.  It was due to his efforts that the wounded were evacuated without a hitch and the casualties for the stretcher-bearers and the ambulances were so light.  His presence and cheerfulness with difficult evacuations encouraged his men to their best efforts. 

In early August William was posted for temporary duty to the ADMS of the 5th Australian Division.  He re-joined his Unit camped by the River Somme on 10th August and 18 days later was slightly wounded but remained on duty.  On the 25th September 1918 he was recommended for the DSO once again and on 1st January 1919 it was awarded.  The recommendation states:

“For meritorious service and devotion to duty throughout the period 25th February 1918 to 16th September 1918.  This Officer has continuously shown great gallantry and devotion to duty under fire.  During June and July 1918 in the operations carried out by this Division before Morlancourt, he successfully organised the evacuation of wounded from Regimental Aid Posts to the Advanced Dressing Station, visiting his posts daily, under fire.  During the period 26th August to 11th September he was acting in command of his Unit and his energy, gallantry and devotion to duty earned the esteem and admiration of all ranks.”

In early November William was appointed to Command the 14th Field Ambulance (14th FA) as temporary Lieutenant Colonel with that promotion being confirmed 16 days later.  At the end of November the Unit moved from Maigneville to Pont Remy and by 21st December had moved several more times to be at Sautain for Christmas.  William finished the year on a high being Mentioned in Despatches on 31st December. 

William was granted educational leave on full pay in England attending the Prince of Wales Hospital at Tottenham near Kensington from 2nd April to 2nd July 1919 after which his appointment was terminated and he was discharged on 23rd July.  He remained in England to do postgraduate studies.  He graduated with a diploma in Tropical Medicine from the University of Liverpool and a DPH at Oxford University.  He subsequently became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Upon his return to Australia he practiced medicine at Barraba NSW till 1924.  In June 1921 he was the Australian representative at the International Sanitary Conference in Paris.  In 1926 he joined the Commonwealth Health Department. 

William married Bridget Irene O’Callaghan, known as Irene, in Melbourne on 25th August 1928.  They subsequently had 2 sons.  

William was senior medical officer in the Commonwealth Health Department and a lecturer in bacteriology and pathology at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Sydney University.

William died in Sydney NSW on 27th April 1955 aged 69.   

For service in WW1 William Campbell Sawers was awarded the Distingushed Service Order, Mentioned in Despatches, 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 2nd May 2022.

SOURCE

https://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/ww1/honour/sawersWC.htmhttps://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/ww1/honour/sawersWC.htm