William Ernest RICHTER

RICHTER, William Ernest

Service Number: 1883
Enlisted: 23 September 1915, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Gunner
Last Unit: 13th Field Artillery Brigade
Born: Burnside, South Australia, 11 September 1897
Home Town: Burnside (SA), Burnside City Council, South Australia
Schooling: Burnside Public School
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Killed in Action, France, 9 August 1918, aged 20 years
Cemetery: Vignacourt British Cemetery, Picardie
Vignacourt British Cemetery, Vignacourt, Picardie, France, Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, Picardie, France
Memorials: Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial - Rose Park, Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brinkley WW1 Honour Roll, Burnside & District - Fallen Soldiers Memorial Trees - Rose Park, Burnside Primary School Memorial Gates, Burnside Public School Roll of Honour, Hazelwood Park (Knightsbridge) War Memorial, Langhorne Creek Brinkley District WW1 Roll of Honour, Tusmore Burnside District Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

23 Sep 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1883, Adelaide, South Australia
5 Jan 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1883, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
5 Jan 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1883, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Afric, Melbourne
25 May 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column
6 May 1918: Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 13th Field Artillery Brigade
9 Aug 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 1883, 13th Field Artillery Brigade, "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1883 awm_unit: 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1918-08-09

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Biography contributed by Nazareth Catholic Community

William Ernest Richter served in the Australian Imperial Forces in World War 1. He was born in Burnside, South Australia, on the 11th of September 1897. Richter spent most of his short life living in Burnside. He attended schooling at Burnside Public School. Before going to war, William Ernest Richter worked as a labourer. 

William enlisted for service abroad on the 23rd of September 1915 at Adelaide, South Australia in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). On the 5th of January 1916, he embarked at Melbourne aboard HMAT Afric. He was assigned to the 9th Light Horse Regiment which was South Australia’s 3rd Light Horse Brigade, Australian Mounted Division in the AIF. On the 25 May 1916 he was transferred to 5th Divisional Ammunition Column with the rank of Driver. Two years later on the 6 May 1918 he was transferred to the 13th Field Artillery Brigade.

It was on the 9th of August 1918, when William Earnest Richter received wounds to his head and shoulder. he died of his wounds later that day in France, only 20 years of age. His last rank was a Gunner in the unit of 13th Field Artillery Brigade. He is buried in Vignacourt British Cemetery, Vignacourt, Picardie, France.

William Earnest Richter is remembered at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra and the Burnside Primary School Memorial Gates.

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