BAILEY, William
| Service Number: | 483 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bolton, Lancashire, England, 1889 |
| Home Town: | Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Nathaniel's School, Plattbridge, England |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 18 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave, Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill Railwaytown War Memorial, Broken Hill South Mine Roll of Honour, Broken Hill War Memorial, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 483, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 483, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 483, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 18 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 483, 50th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 483 awm_unit: 50 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-18 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Daniel Daminato
William Bailey was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England. There is no record of his birth date, but his birth year could be 1889. The only parent of William listed in documents is his father was George Bailey. William attended St Nathaniel’s School in Lancashire and became a miner. William was baptised into the Church of England. He moved to Australia at the age of 23 and arrived in New South Wales. His address was 51 Wolfram Street, Broken Hill, New South Wales.
William enlisted for the army on the 24th of August 1914, in Adelaide, South Australia. At the time of enlistment, he was 25 years old and not married. William had no previous military service before enlisting in the army. He was registered as a private and his regiment number was 483. William was a part of the 10th Battalion, which embarked on their journey on the 20th October 1914. They were taken to action on board of the A11 Ascanius, which was a steam transportation ship. The ship docked in Egypt in November, bringing the 3rd Infantry Brigade to WW1 battlefields.
After Gallipoli, the 10th Battalion was brought to Belgium, which was where they fought. The 10th Battalion was involved in establishing and protecting the front line of the ANZACS. They served there until they were evacuated in December. During Williams’s time in the war he was moved to the 50th Battalion. Half of the 50th Battalion was made up of the 10th Battalion, as well as new recruits from Australia.
William was sent for court martial and found guilty of AWOL. He was sentenced to 14 days detention and was fined 62 days of pay. Unfortunately, William was killed in action on the 18th of October 1917 in Belgium.
The panel reference of Bailey grave is Panel 7 – 17 – 23 – 25 – 27 – 29 – 31. He can also be found at the Adelaide National War Memorial on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue. His name can also be found on the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra.
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