William Boyd Griffiths
From Our Contribution
Personal Information | |
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Date of Birth | 14 Feb 1919 |
Place of Birth | Armadale, Western Australia |
Death | 29 Jul 1991, aged 72 |
Place of Death | Queens Park, Western Australia |
Age at Enlistment | 21 years, 1 month |
Occupation | linesman |
Religion | Church of England |
Address | 22 Cheetham street, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia |
Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs. V Griffiths |
Military Information | |
Reg Number | WX1964 |
Date of Enlistment | 7 Apr 1940 |
Rank | Private |
Unit/Formation | 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion |
Post War Details | |
Fate | Returned to Australia |
Pre War
War Service
In 1939 Bill was working on a casual basis with the Western Australian Government Railways in Kalgoorlie, which is where he enlisted on 7 Apr 1940. On 8 April he arrived at the Northam Camp where he was taken on strength by the AIF General Reinforcements. No amount of training was to occur in Western Australia. Bill had required medical attention on 25 Apr 1940 for a cut foot, being released on the 27 Apr 1940 to proceed on pre-embarkation leave until 7 May 1940. Barely had he returned and he embarked for overseas service.
Convoy US 3 consisted of Queen Mary, Aquitania, Empress of Britain, Empress of Canada, Empress of Japan, Andes and the SS Mauretania which Bill and his reinforcement draft boarded on 10 May 1940 when he was allocated to the 2nd reinforcement draft for the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion. The Convoy sailed on 12 May for Ceylon (Sri Lanka). However, with the entry of Italy into the war and its having armed forces in its East Afrtican colonies adjacent to their voyage route to Egypt, the convoy was rerouted to England via Cape Town and Freetown. They eventually disembarked on 17 Jun 1940 at Gourock, on the River Clyde near Glasgow. On 27 Jun 1940 Bill was transferred to teh 71st Australian Infnatry Battalion which was being raised in England from the troops arriving on US 3 Convoy.
Bill was AWOL from midnight 12 Oct 1940 until midday on the 14th, and for this he forfeited 2 days pay and was awarded 14 days Confined to Barracks. On 28 Oct1940 the name of his unit cvahged to the 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion Moving to Tidworth and Colchester where they undertook training. The battalion embarked at Gourock on 4 Jan 1941 for the Middle East where they disembarked at Alexandria (?) on 9 March, before travellin to Kilo 89 in Palestine by train.
Discharged 27 May 1943
Post War
In 1949 Bill married Barbara Dorothy Merle McCourt (b. 19190, and they had a daughter. Barbara died 26 Aug 1998 in Quinns Rock.
Electoral Roll entries: 1943 at 9 Bourke street, Leederville, no occupation; 1954 at 22 Chalmers street, East Fremantle, surgical fitter; 1958 - 1963 at 9 Bourke street, North Perth, limb maker; 1968 - 1980 at 72 Beryl street, Balcatta, surgical fitter.
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