William Keith Seabrook

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 21/02/2017 - 10:39

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Keith

Last Name:

Seabrook

Date of Birth:

Tuesday, March 24, 1896

Mother's Name:

Fanny Seabrook nee Ross

Father's Name:

William Seabrook

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, August 1, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

2nd Lieutenant

Unit:

17th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, September 21, 1917

Place of Death:

10th Casualty Clearing Station, Belgium

Cause of Death:

Wounds incurred in action

Details:

William Seabrook (Service No 6182) was born in Woonona, NSW, one of 3 brothers who enlisted. Tragically, William and his brothers George (Service No 6174) & Theo (Service No 6147) were all killed while serving in the AIF.

At enlistment William was single, 20 years old and worked as a telephonist. He had previously enlisted on 10th August 1915 and served in Australia as a 2nd Lientenant with the Commonwealth Cadets training troops for active service.

William and his brothers embarked together from Sydney on HMAT A11 Ascanius with 17th Battalion, 17th Reinforcement on 25th October 1916. There are numerous ranks listed for William on his NAA papers, but he seems mainly to have acted as a Sergeant on the trip to England. The brothers arrived in England on 28th December 1916 all 3 joined 17th battalion, C Company in France on 29th May 1917.

William was promoted and commission as 2nd Lieutenant on 23rd July 1917. The 3 brothers went into battle for the first time on 20th September and were in the vicinity of Hellfire Corner on the Menin road when a shell hit. George and Theo were killed instantly and have no known graves. William was wounded in action at the same time and evacuated to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station with multiple shrapnel wounds and a fractured skull.

William died of his wounds at 1:50am on 21st September 1917 and is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Plot XXIII, Row B, Grave 5.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, SEABROOK WILLIAM KEITH