Wongarbon NSW
5054
28th Battalion
Tooraweenah Kookaburra
Returned to Australia July 20, 1919
Private William Donald Moore was a 22 year old labourer of Wongarbon when he enlisted with the Kookaburra Recruitment March in Mendooran on January 12, 1916. The medical examination described him as 5’ 6” tall, 132lbs (60kgs), chest expansion of 34-36”, fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair, religion Roman Catholic and no distinctive marks. His father, Charles Moore was his next of kin.
He trained at Bathurst with the 45th Battalion and embarked at Sydney on the HMAT Ceramic on April 14, 1916. At Fremantle Western Australia, he was sick and disembarked on April 20, 1916.
William was assigned to the 28th Battalion in May 1916 and embarked for England at Fremantle on the HMAT Seang Bea on July 18, 1916. He arrived at the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone, England on September 9, 1916. After further training he went to France on the SS Henrietta to join his unit on January 9, 1917.
Other than a 5 week period in hospital with Trench Foot and a 2 week Leave in England, William remained with his unit in France until April 13, 1919, when it was disbanded. William experienced the horrors of Bullecourt, May 197 and Menin Road , Broodseinde Ridge and the mud of Poelcappelle. In 1918 he was at the Somme fighting the German Offensive, at Peronnne and Mont St Quentin and the Beaurevoir Line.
William embarked for Australia from England on HMAT Mahia on June 4, 1919 and disembarked at Sydney July 20, 1919. He was discharged September 4, 1919. He was issuied the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He is commemorated on the Wongarbon School Memorial.