William George Ball
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 2 Dec 1894 |
| Place of Birth | Wraxall, Somersetshire, England |
| Death | 14 Oct 1917 |
| Place of Death | Passchendaele, Belgium |
| Age at Enlistment | 21 years, 7 months |
| Description |
6'0" (1.83m) tall ; 143lbs 64.864 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair |
| Occupation | Farm hand |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | (NOK's) Yelbeni, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Herbert Ball |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 2532 |
| Date of Enlistment | 24 Jul 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 44th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement posted to 3 Platoon A Company |
| Date of Embarkation | 9 Nov 1916 ‒ 10 Jan 1917 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A8 Argyllshire Fremantle to Devonport |
| Fate | KIA 14 Oct 1917 |
| Monument |
Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Australian War Memorial |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Contents
Pre War
William George Ball was born in Wraxall, North Somerset, England on 2 December 1894 and baptised on 30 December 1894. He attended the Gloucestershire Council School, Kingswood, England and by 1911 he was working as a blacksmith. He was eldest of four sons and three daughters, William George (b.1894), Herbert Charles (b.1897), George Henry (b.1902), Charles Edward (b.1906), Agnes Louise (b.1893), Eleanor Mabel (b.1881), and Lilly Mary (b.1904). Their parents were Herbert William Ball and Charlotte Anna Maria Ball (nee Griffin) who were married in Somerset, England on 30 March 1892. William arrived in Australia in 1912 aged 17 years. At the time of his enlistment Bill was working for Mr. TC Barnes at Kellerberrin, Western Australia.
War Service
Entering Blackboy Hill camp, Bill was allocated to the 79th Depot Company until 1 Aug 1916 when he was posted to the 6th reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion. On 4 Sep 1916 this changed the 5th reinforcement draft.
On arrival in England Bill was sent to the 11th Training Battalion at Durrington to receive trench related training for France, and on 19 Apr 1917 he proceeded overseas to France through Folkestone. On 23 Apr 1917 he was taken on the strength of the 44th Battalion, along with 57 other reinforcements at Ploegsteert in Belgium.
On 14 Oct 1917 the 44th Battalion was in the front lines east of Ypres and was on the receiving end of very severe shelling which caused few casualties. However, Bill was listed as Wounded in action, later changed to Wounded & Missing in Action. Early advice in relation to his being wounded resulted in his mother and aunt writing to authorities numerous times as their letters to him were marked "Hospital". In the end his mother wrote a very terse letter to the Secretary of the Department for Defence.
Despite him being used as a runner, there appears to have been now attempt to locate him until his family began questioning his whereabouts. Following a Court of Inquiry on 14 Jun 1918 his status was altered to Killed in Action on 14 Oct 1917.
The best information as to his fate was provided by 2097 Pte H Gliddin and is contained in his Red cross file held by the AWM.
"I saw him coming back from the line after a run as he was a runner, and was wounded in the head, but not wounded very badly as he was walking out himself. He did not reach the dressing station so I think he must have been hit again. This was on the night of 13th or 14th October 1917. He was in the same section as I...."[1]
Notes
No obvious connection to Gosnells, but he is the only W Ball to enlist in WA. If he is the correct one, his name should be included on the Gosnells War Memorial. His brother Herbert Charles enlisted in the Australian navy at Fremantle on 10 October 1914, rating number 4153. Herbert served as a stoker on board HMAS Cerberus, HMAS Psyche and HMAS Franklin.