Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Thomas Bain was born in 1892 at Petersham NSW, the 2nd of 6 children and the eldest son of his parents Thomas and Rachel Bain.  He had an older sister Jessie and his younger siblings were Henry and Margaret.  Two other siblings, Jane and Thomas died in infancy.  After completing his education William worked as a Railway Porter.  His hometown was Campsie NSW.

William enlisted for WW1 in the Australian Imperial Force on 24th August 1914 at Sydney NSW aged 21.  He’s described as being 5ft 7ins tall with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair.  His service number was 154, his rank Driver and he was assigned to the 1st Field Ambulance B Section.  After completing his initial training at Queen’s Park Camp, Waverley, NSW, he embarked from Sydney on 20th October 1914 on HMAT Euripides, one of the 36 ships of the First Convoy which sailed from Albany on 1st November 1914.  He disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, on 3rd December 1914 then proceeded to Mena Camp near Cairo.  In early February 1915 he was admitted to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Mena House with periostitis of the shin after being kicked by a horse.  On 5th April 1915 the whole of the 1st Field Ambulance (1FA) embarked from Alexandria on HMT City of Benares and 2 days later anchored in Mudros Bay off Lemnos Island.  They remained there until the early morning of the 25th April when they proceeded to Gallipoli.  They transhipped to the Destroyer Scourge offshore of Anzac Cove then went ashore in towboats at 9.30am on 25th April 1915 under heavy fire. 

The following is from an article on the 1st Field Ambulance from the RAAMC and Health Service Corps Association: “The collecting of casualties from further north and southern ends of ANZAC Cove was necessitated, as casualties were accumulating in great numbers down from the ridges. The safe handling of casualties on the slopes and ridges required the Field Ambulance bearers to use their puttees for tying the casualty to the stretchers then sliding them down the almost vertical hillside amongst the undergrowth. By 5:30 pm on the 25th April 1915 over 600 wounded (casualties) including Turkish soldiers, had been carried down to the beach for transfer to the hospital ships. In the months that followed thousands of casualties were to be handled by the 1st Australian Field Ambulance at Gallipoli. At first the bearers were carrying from every part of the line, but after the second week the work was confined to the 3rd Australian Brigade.”    

In late August 1915 William was evacuated from Gallipoli and admitted to No. 15 General Hospital at Alexandria, Egypt, with diarrhoea and a hernia.  He was transferred to Suez 5 days later by hospital train where he was invalided back to Australia on HMAT Ulysses having been classified medically unfit.  He disembarked at Melbourne on 30th September 1915.  After convalescing he returned to duty on 18th January 1916 and re-embarked for Egypt from Brisbane on the 31st January 1916 on HMAT Wandilla.  He arrived at Alexandria on 5th March 1916 and proceeded to Zeitoun Camp near Cairo.  He re-joined his unit at Serapeum Camp on the shoreline of the Suez Canal.  On 20th March 1916 he reverted to the rank of Private and 3 days later embarked with the unit for France from Alexandria on HMAT Simla.  He disembarked at Marseilles, France, a week later.

William was attached to Headquarters for duty with the ADMS in mid-July 1917 and re-joined his unit at Dickebusch, Belgium 2 months later.  Just 4 days later on 21st September 1917, he was wounded by gunshot to the chest and evacuated to Calais where he was admitted to the 30th General Hospital.  He was then evacuated to England and admitted to Beaufort War Hospital at Bristol on 1st October 917.  He was transferred 11 days later to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.  Upon discharge from there he proceeded to No. 2 Command Depot at Monte Video Camp, Weymouth and then to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurcott Camp at Fovant 12 days later.  He remained there till 14th December 1917 then proceeded to the Overseas Training Brigade at Sand Hill Camp at Longbridge Deverill. 

In early February 1918, William proceeded to Parkhouse Camp on the Salisbury Plain then 2 weeks later embarked from Southampton for France.  He disembarked at Le Havre the next day and re-joined his unit on 25th February 1918 at Ravelsberg, between Hazebrouck and Bailleul.  In late April 1918 he was evacuated to the 7th Canadian General Hospital at Etaples with cellulitis of the left foot. 

In mid-January 1919 William took leave to the UK which was extended in late January for his return to Australia.  On 28th February 1919 he embarked from Devonport on HMAT Anchises and disembarked at Melbourne VIC on 13th April 1919.  He then proceeded by boat to Sydney and was discharged from the service on 17th June 1919. 

William passed away on 18th May 1967 at Woolgoolga NSW aged 74.  He was buried at Rookwood General Cemetery NSW. 

William is commemorated on the Railways WW1/WW2 Honour Roll located on the Railway Wall of Remembrance at Central Station, Haywood NSW.  

William Thomas Bain was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.  

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 31st March 2023.

Source

http://www.raamc.org.au/web/1fda/?History#:~:text=The%20first%20Routine%20Order%20was,on%20Monday%2024th%20August%201914.&text=The%201st%20Australian%20Field%20Ambulance%20was%20raised%20on%20the%2024th,of%20Sydney%2C%20New%20South%20Wales.