William Arthur Green
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | unknown |
| Place of Birth | Stafford, England |
| Death | 7 Jun 1974 |
| Place of Death | Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 22 years, 9 months |
| Description | 5' 10½" (1.79m) tall; weight 159 lbs (72.1 kg); fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair |
| Occupation | sleeper hewer |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | John street, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother Mrs Annie Gates Green |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 5105 |
| Date of Enlistment | 4 Jan 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 16th Battalion, 16th Reinforcement, transferred to 48th Battalion |
| Date of Embarkation | 31 mar 1916 - 24 Apr 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A9 Shropshire |
| Date of Return | 28 Aug - 14 Oct 1917 |
| Ship Returned On | HMNZT Pakeha |
| Fate | Wounded in Action 20 Nov 1916 Gueudecourt area |
| Monument | Armadale (Armadale panel) |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
War Service
Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 11 Jan 1916 and on 13 Mar 1916 was allocated to the 16th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion.
Travelled with them to Egypt, where a month after their arrival he was transferred to the 48th Battalion reinforcements.
On 14 June 1916 he entered France through Marseilles aboard the HMT Huntspill. Bill joined his battalion in the field on 14 Aug 1916 when they were spread very thin, holding the front line near the Bapaume road, Warloy without any reserve troops.
On the day he was wounded the Unit War Diary reads"20/11/16 Men hard at work clearing mud out of trenches and deepening communications trench. Enemy artillery very active - 8 casualties, 2 since dead. Arrangements working well for supply of hot food to men in the front line. The food is cooked in FLERS and carried by fatigue parties 1500m to the front line."
Bill is one of the 8 casualties, having received a shell wound to his chest. He was evacuated first to England on the HMHS West Australia from Rouen, and then to Australia on the NZHT Pakeha for a 'change' after being treated at the American Women's War Hospital in Pagnton, Devonport, and given time to recuperate in the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall.
Discharged at 5th Military District 2 Nov 1917, Bill received a pension of 40/- per fortnight from 3 Nov 1917.
"he was in the firing line from 2nd July until December (Nov in Army records) before being wounded and in the American Women's Hospital for treatment."[1]"Leane's Battalion" quotes a letter that Bill had written:
"We had to take some Lewis gun carts away about three miles to be mended. There were three on each one. Alf Gray, Ernie Beaton and myself on ours. We travelled about a mile and we came to an estaminent and we were feeling very dry so we went in and had a feed of egg and chips. Then we ordered some wine. Champagne it was called. It was five francs a bottle. Well we emptied about ten bottles between us so we began to feel the effects a good bit, forgetting all about the carts......."[2]
Post War
1920 Married Elsie Saw. Electoral Roll entries - 1916, John Street, Armadale - sleeper hewer; 1922 - 1931 with Elsie, a farmer at "Litchfield" Allanson, Collie; 1936 - 1943 farmer at "Boorals", Serpentine; 1949 Seventh road, Armadale (1954 Isobel Evelyn also) (1958 Annie Margaret also); 1972 farmer at 114 Eleventh Ave, Armadale.