William Henry Buckley

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 22/08/2017 - 15:41

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Henry

Last Name:

Buckley

Date of Birth:

Sunday, September 25, 1881

Mother's Name:

Mary Buckley nee Taylor

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, November 16, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

20th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Sunday, August 13, 1944

Place of Death:

Wollongong Hospital, NSW

Details:

William Buckley (Service No 4076) was born in Lancashire, England and had served 2 years with the Territorials before coming to Australia in 1913.

At enlistment William was single, 24 years old, worked as a labourer, and lived at Port Kembla, NSW. He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A67 Orsova with 20th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement on 11th March 1916.

After a stop in Egypt he joined 20th Battalion in France on 30th July 1916 and saw service on the Western Front.

William was admitted to hospital on 9th September 1916 suffering from trench fever. Soon after, he was admitted again on 26th December 1916, suffering from influenza; he was returned to his unit on 12th February 1917.

On 9th August 1917 he was admitted to hospital for a vision test and diagnosed with a detached retina. He was repatriated to Australia in November 1917 and discharged medically unfit, with a pension, on 6th February 1918.

In 1922 William married Alice Austin in Wollongong, NSW, and the couple raised 3 children.

William died in 1944.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, BUCKLEY W H