Newtown, Gilgandra, NSW
4602
30th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement
Gilgandra, NSW
Returned to Australia 4.9.1919
Private William Smith 4602
William was a 19 year old labourer of Gilgandra when he first enlisted. His parents, Thomas and Margaret AKA Emma signed the consent. The medical examination was done in Gilgandra the day after the Coo-ees left Gilgandra and described him as 5’ 8”11stone, dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hark. His religion was Presbyterian. William claimed he was a member of the Gilgandra Rifle Club. He was attested by Captain Nichols when the Cooees were at Stuart Town on 20 October 1915. William was discharged at Liverpool Camp as medically unfit on 29 November 1915
William re-joined at Dubbo on 1 November 1916. He was 21 years old and a grocer of Gilgandra. His mother Margaret (AKA Emma) was his next of kin and lived at Newtown, Gilgandra.
William trained at Liverpool Camp and embarked at Sydney on the ‘Beltana’ on November 25 1916 with the 30th Battalion. They arrived at Devonport, England on January 29 1917. For most of 1917 he was in England attending training and in hospital being treated for mumps and convalescing. He arrived in France to join the 56th Battalion in December 1917 where he spent the winter. William was admitted to hospital January 1918 with myopia (vision problems) and in March with bronchitis. He rejoined his unit in May 1918 and had a few episodes of Absent Without Leave until he was sick in December.
In December 1918 he was admitted sick to hospital and then transported back to England on the Hospital ship ‘St Patrick’. He spent the remainder of his time in England in hospital and convalescence around Bulford and Parkhouse.
William returned to Australia on the transport ship ‘Priedrichsruh’, arriving in Sydney on 4 September 1919 and he was discharged on 12 October 1919.
He received the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
William married Mavis Wood at Gilgandra 29 October 1919. Replacement medals were sent to him May 18 1959 and a replacement statement of service record in July 1962 while he was in the Lidcombe State Hospital. William died November 1965 and was privately cremated.
William is commemorated on the Coo-ee Memorial Gateway, the Gilgandra Honor Roll and the Virtual War Memorial.