William Joseph Loseby

Submitted by Mary Steenson on Wed, 27/07/2016 - 16:04

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Joseph

Last Name:

Loseby

Mother's Name:

Elizabeth Anne Loseby

Father's Name:

Charles T Loseby

Date Enlisted:

Saturday, February 26, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Sapper

Unit:

1st Tunnelling Company

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Place of Death:

Cessnock, N.S.W.

Details:

William Joseph Loseby (Service No 5365) was born in 1893 in Berrima, N.S.W. to Charles T and Elizabeth Anne Loseby.

When he enlisted in Sydney on 26th February 1916 William lived in Stewart Street, Helensburgh, N.S.W. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and auburn hair. He was 5ft 9inches tall and weighed 144lbs. His religion was Methodist. He worked as a labourer and he had a scar on the outer left thigh. William He was attached to Depot Battalion at Bathurst. He was aged 23 and he was single.

William was a Private with C Company in Liverpool Camp on 18th April 1916 before being transferred as Sapper with the Mining Reinforcements, Roseberry Park, on 2nd May 1916.

He was with Mining Reinforcements at Seymour, Vic. on 5th July 1916.

William embarked from Melbourne on 30th September 1916 on HMAT A23 Suffolk.

On 25th October 1916 he was given 48 hours detention for using insulting language to Military Police on board. He disembarked at Plymouth on 2nd December 1916 and proceeded to France via SS Arundell ex Folk stone 1st January 1917. He was taken on strength in France on 27th January 1917.

In June 1917 William was in hospital sick on a few occasions. Then again on 11th November 1917 he was in hospital again. If William was not fighting the enemy he was fighting sickness, one of the biggest problems faced during the war. On 13th November 1917 he returned to his unit.

On 5th December 1917 he was forfeited 28 days pay for being Absent Without Leave from 9am on 5th Decempber 1917 to 10am 8th December 1917.

On 15th July 1918 William was back in hospital, this time suffering from influenza. On the 7th September 1918 he rejoined his unit.

On the 25th January 1919 William was granted Leave from France, 25th January 1919 to 8th Feb 1919, and rejoined his unit on 22nd Feb 1919.

On 5th April 1919 he was returned to the UK for return to Australia.

On the 12 April 1919 he was admitted to 1st AS Hospital at Sutton Verny suffering from bronchitis. On 24th April 1919 William was discharged from Depot Sutton.

William returned to Australia on 22nd June 1919 aboard HT “Konig Frederick August” from Devonport, arriving on 10th August 1919.

William died in 1964 at Cessnock.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, LOSEBY WILLIAM JOSEPH

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