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William Haywood

Information about birth

Year of birth:
1886
Place of birth:
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

General information

Last known residence:
Murrumburrah, New South Wales, Australia
Profession:
Labourer
Religion:
Methodist

Army information

Country:
Australia
Force:
Australian Imperial Force
Rank:
Private
Service number:
3152
Enlistment date:
09/10/1916
Enlistment place:
Murrumburrah, New South Wales, Australia
Units:
 —  Australian Infantry, 35th Bn. (Newcastle's Own Regiment)  (Last known unit)

Information about death

Date of death:
12/10/1917
Place of death:
Hillside Farm, Keerselaarhoek, Belgium
Cause of death:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Age:
31

Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery
Plot: XXIII
Row: D
Grave: 21

Points of interest 4

#1 Place of birth
#2 Last known residence
#3 Enlistment place
#4 Place of death (approximate)

My story

William Haywood was born around 1886 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. Before the war, he emigrated to Australia and worked as a labourer. William enlisted in the Australian Army and was a part of the 35th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (9th Brigade, 3rd Division).

William died on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting lines of the attack on Passchendaele were near Keerselaarhoek. At 5.25 a.m., the starting signal for the attack was given. The 35th Battalion advanced in support of the 34th Battalion. They managed to capture Hillside Farm and Augustus Wood, thus reaching their first objectives. After a temporary delay due to machine gun fire, they managed to advance further. The consolidation lasted until around 3 p.m. The battalion was then forced to retreat to the vicinity of Augustus Wood. The attack ended about 300 yards beyond the original starting lines.

William fell at the age of 31. After the war, William's body was recovered near Hillside Farm. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.

Sources 4

35th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/52/4).
https://www.awm.gov.au/
Sources used
Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 HAYWOOD W).
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/
Sources used
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129.
Sources used
Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8).
https://www.awm.gov.au/
Sources used

More information 4