Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William EAMES was the son of Albert George EAMES & Nellie Emelda OHLSTROM and was born on the 14th of January 1891 at Harward Station, near Warooka, SA.

His father was born on the 23rd of May 1862 in Hackney, SA and was the son of William EAMES & Sarah MARSHALL.

His mother was the daughter of Pohl OHLSTROM & Margaret Agnes PURTLE and was born on the 28th of March 1870 in Orrie Cowie, SA.

Albert & Nellie were married on the 26th of February 1890 in Warooka, SA.

William was the eldest child born into the family of 5 children; 2 boys & 3 girls.

His father was a laborer on Harward Station, 15 kms west of Warooka and all of the Eames siblings were born here.

In October 1898 his sister Agnes became quite ill and they took her to the local chemist in Warooka. Agnes couldn’t tell them what was wrong and the chemist was unable to find and answer so he sent them to Yorktown. The doctor had great difficulty ascertaining the cause of her ailment, bet he eventually removed a piece of stick that was stuck in her gullet and luckily she recovered quite well.

His father then gained employment as a road overseer and by 1905 the family had moved to Thornton Park, Athelstone, SA.

His brother drowned in a dam on the 27th of November 1909. He had gone for a bath with a friend, but couldn’t swim.

They buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery.

His sister Ada died on the 26th of July 1914 and they buried her with Albert.

At the age of 24, William enlisted into the AIF on the 29th of November 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 4117 and posted to the Mining Corps as a sapper at 2nd Depot Battalion for training. On the 1st of March 1916 he was posted to No. 5 Tunneling Company at Broadmeadows, Victoria.

He embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A69 Warilda on the 25th of May 1916.

After 3 years in France, William finally embarked for Australia on board HT Orontes on the 15th of May 1919, disembarking at the wharf at Outer Harbour in Adelaide at 12:30pm on the 26th of June.

William was discharged from the AIF on the 10th of August 1919.

A welcome home social was tendered to William by the residence of Athelstone on the 9th of September and they presented William with an inscribed pocket wallet.

William moved to Gawler and became a member of the RSL Gawler Sub-Branch and he played cricket for Sandy Creek.

In 1941 he was living at 41 Adelaide Road, Gawler South and he never married.

William died on the 29th of June 1961 and was buried the following day in the Willaston Cemetery; Section 3, Row F, Plot 56.

Military Service

At the age of 24, William enlisted into the AIF on the 29th of November 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 4117 and posted to the Mining Corps as a sapper at 2nd Depot Battalion for training.

He listed his mother; of Athelstone, as his next of kin.

In January 1916 he was sent to the Miners’ Depot at Exhibition A.I.F. Camp for further instruction.

On the 1st of March 1916 he was posted to No. 5 Tunneling Company at Broadmeadows, Victoria.

William embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A69 Warilda on the 25th of May 1916.

Their last port of call in Australia was Fremantle and whilst here on the 1st of June, William went AWOL for 4 hours.

A Court Martial was held on board the ship and William was reduced to the ranks.

Durban, South Africa was reached on the 16th of June 16 and Cape Town five days later, St Vincent completed the African ports of call on the 7th of July.  Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where AWOL caused concern.  The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather.

They disembarked in Plymouth, England on the 18th of June and entrained to the No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs for further training.

William was promoted to Corporal on the 4th of July 1916.

William proceeded to France on the 28th of August 1916 but on their arrival the 5th Tunnelling Company was disbanded and all its personnel transferred to augment the 2nd Tunnelling Company.

In January 1917, they relieved the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company at The Bluff in the Ypres Salient. They moved to Nieuport Bains in the same month, to construct subways as part of Operation Hush. They reported to the 29th French Division and went to work at once tunnelling in a small area of the sand dunes held by the British beyond the Yser.

William was admitted into the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from Bronchitis, on the 16th of February. He was then transferred to No.1 Command Depot in Boulogne 4 days later before rejoining his unit on the 4th of March.

Three days later he was readmitted to hospital suffering from Tonsillitis and an infected mouth. This time he remained in hospital until the 19th of June when he was discharged to rest camp and then rejoined his Company on the 29th of June at Nieuport.

Here they began tunnelling under the houses and constructing an Infantry Subway for the troops to and from the front line. This tunnel was proposed to carry right through to the Yser Canal and was entered via incline shafts and it also had electrical lighting.

On the 1st of September William suffered an accident whilst he was a member of the carrying party at the French dump.

He injured his left hand and fingers and was admitted into the 83rd General Hospital in Boulogne 4 days later.

The following day he embarked for England and was admitted into Kitcheners Military Hospital in Brighton, England.

Three weeks later he was discharged from hospital and transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield. After a further 4 weeks he was discharged to the No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth and from here he was sent to No.3 Command Depot in Hurdcott.

William was then sent to Sand Hill, an overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge, Deverill and he spent Christmas Day 1917 here.

He then proceeded to France on the 7th of January 1918 and rejoined his Company 5 days later. But by now the war shifted in tempo to one of manoeuvre and the scope for mining and tunnelling diminished.

William was transferred to the 3rd Pioneer Battalion on the 16th of January and reallotted the service number 4117A.

In early 1918, the battalion took part in efforts to blunt the German spring offensive, serving around Belle, Heilly and Ribemont between March and May 1918.

On the 15th of May at Heilly, William suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his leg, shoulder and abdominal and was admitted into the 11th Australian Field Ambulance and then transferred on to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station.

Five days later he was entrained on the 25th Ambulance Train to the 26th General Hospital in Etaples.

Four days later he embarked for England and was admitted into the Eastbourne Military Hospital.

On the 14th of June he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield and on the 17th he was awarded 2 weeks leave.

On return from leave he reported to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny and whilst here he suffered a severe attack of diarrhoea and was admitted into hospital.

William was then sent to Sand Hill Training Brigade at Longbridge, Deverill again on the 22nd of October and proceeded to France 8 days later and rejoined his Battalion, who were at billets in Liercourt.

They were still here at their billets training when the Armistice was announced on the 11th of November 1918.

They remained here for a further 4 weeks before marching onto Huppy, via Erondelle in December.

Williams last Christmas away from his home, family and friends was spent her in 1918.

They moved to Bouillancourt in early April and William embarked for England on the 7th of April and was posted to No.3 Command Depot in Codford awaiting his return to Australia.

William finally embarked for Australia on board HT Orontes on the 15th of May 1919, disembarking at the wharf at Outer Harbour in Adelaide at 12:30pm on the 26th of June.

William was discharged from the AIF on the 10th of August 1919.