Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Henry Battams

William Henry Battams was born in 1897 (The exact dates have not been recorded). He was born in Payneham and his mother's name was Annie B Battams. William was enlisted in the war when he was 18. Before he went to war his previous job was labourer. In the army he was in 2 different positions first he was a private and then he changed to a driver. He was one of many young men that was ordered to fight for the British Empire. He was first sent to Lark Hills in England to train for several months then he was sent to France to fight. William was in the 10th battalion, 9th reinforcement and his regimental number was 2980. The date William enlisted on was 5th of July 1915. He embarked from Adelaide on 21st of September 1915 and boarded on HMAT A15 star of England. His next of kin was his mother and he had a brother called Frederick Alfred Battams.

William along with other soldiers in his 10th battalion were sent to Egypt. He trained there for couple of months. Then he was sent to France and the Western front. From 1915-16 the battalion was involved in with a lot of heavy fighting. Even though the Gallipoli war started on April 25th 1915, William went to fight in the war as well. The 10th battalion’s job was to protect the defence line on the very front so a lot of soldiers got killed. In the 10th battalion he was a private, the lowest rank in the army, and in 1916, 26th of February he transferred to the 50th battalion. He only stayed in his first battalion for a year which wasn’t a very long time. His new position in the 50th battalion was a driver which is the same rank as a private. On the 19th April there was a war in Rogue De Bout in France and in the 50th battalion unit diary it was recorded that German’s were throwing heavy shells in their trenches. Also in that same year he was sent to hospital because he was sick (exact disease was not recorded). He returned to the army after few days.

From now on it will be about 50th battalion as William was transferred. In the early 1917, William’s battalion followed the German forces that was retreating to the Hindenburg Line, and attacked at Noreuil on the 2nd of April. On the unit diary it was recorded that the German’s attacked on 4:30a.m in one of the nights. It was also recorded how the soldiers were having trouble because the German troops kept throwing heave shells over their trenches. The battle ended on the 20th of April.  On the same year, 18th of June the 50th battalion was proceeded to Belgium to join the biggest British empire war fare happened that year against the German troops. In 1917, the 50th battalion utilised the army that was from the collapsed Russian troops (one of British allies).

On the final year of the war, 1918, the German army sent a huge offensive on the Western front at the end of March. On 5th of April, at Dernancourt. The 50th battalion was instructed to aid the Australian soldiers that were fighting against the German troops. The German army was aiming for the Villers – Bretonneux so it was 50th battalion’s job to defend the frontline. This battle caused 660 casualties’ but William wasn’t one of them. The 47th battalion was to hold off as many German soldiers as possible but there were possibly too many of them that by midday the 47th battalion was mostly killed or captured. So the 50th battalion had to help fend off the German’s.

Soon the 50th was combined with the 51st battalion on the 6th of March 1919. William returned on the 23rd of March 1919. He won two medals, they were victory medal and British war medal. He was disembarked on the 13th July 1919. He served in the army for 4 years and 8 days. He returned home safely on the  and his exact date of death is known.

Medals recieved Victory medal and British War medal.