William Patrick Conway

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sat, 23/01/2016 - 11:01

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Patrick

Last Name:

Conway

Date of Birth:

Tuesday, November 1, 1887

Mother's Name:

Helena Conway nee Kinneally

Father's Name:

Daniel Conway

Date Enlisted:

Thursday, June 3, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Corporal

Unit:

13th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Wednesday, August 30, 1916

Place of Death:

Pozieres, France

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

William Conway (Service No 2566) was born in Berry, N.S.W. and attended St Patrick's Convent school at Berry. On 7th June 1911 he married Ruby Johnson in Bundaberg, Qld and the couple returned to the Illawarra to live and raise a family.

When William enlisted at the age of 27 he was employed as a bread carter, and he and Ruby had 2 children.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A54 Runic with 8th Reinforcements, 13th Battalion on 9th August 1915.

After the troops arrived in Egypt William became ill and was admitted to hospital on 13th October 1915. He was not able to join his battalion until 8th January 1916.

William arrived in France on 8th June 1916 and took part in the battle at Pozieres. On 19th August he was promoted to Corporal. Only eleven days later, while fighting in the Mouquet Farm area, William entered no-man's-land looking for wounded men after a charge, but was never seen again. He was later found to have been killed in action.

There is no known grave for William; he is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

William's brother Daniel Conway (Service No 4996) was killed in action at Viller-Bretonneux, France in May 1918.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, CONWAY W