Pte
William Wheldon
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1890 |
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Place of birth: West Auckland, Durham, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Carter |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 3005/A |
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Enlistment date: 31/01/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 31st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 24/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Romulus Wood, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 27 |
Cemetery
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Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood Plot: XXIV Row: B Grave: 13 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Private William Wheldon served in the Australian Infantry 31st Battalion, part of the 8th Australian Brigade, of the 5th Australian Division. In January 1916 William enlisted in Brisbane, QLD wit the Australian Imperial Forces.
Abord S.S. Waimana, (White Star Line), with his older brother, Albert (age 27), William Wheldon (age 22) emigrated to Australia. They departed Liverpool on 16 July 1912, arriving in Sydney on 29 August 1912. Both were listed as farmers. Born and brought up on the family farm, the brothers had decided to seek a better life and worked on a farm north of Sydney.
On the 21st of October 1917 the 31st Battalion occupied a part of the frontline, east of Zonnebeke on the Broodseinde Ridge. In anticipation of the Second Battle of Passchendaele, from the 26th of October 1917 till the 10th of November 1917, the Battalion started sending out patrols to reconnoiter the German positions at night. German artillery was active throughout the daylight on the 23rd of October 1917, shelling the frontline and support line.
During the night of the 23rd and 24th of October the Battalion sent out patrols trying to locate occupied posts, but no Germans could be found. The German artillery was active throughout the day and the following day. Especially the front line and support lines on the left sector were heavily shelled. Around 5.30 p.m. the German artillery reopened fire on the 31st Battalion’s front- and support lines on the Broodseinde Ridge, in reply to an allied barrage. The shelling was incessant for over two hours, when the fire gradually eased down to occasional shells during the night.
Private William Wheldon was killed in action on the 24th of October 1917. He was initially buried near Romulus Wood. His remains were exhumed after the war and interred in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
Abord S.S. Waimana, (White Star Line), with his older brother, Albert (age 27), William Wheldon (age 22) emigrated to Australia. They departed Liverpool on 16 July 1912, arriving in Sydney on 29 August 1912. Both were listed as farmers. Born and brought up on the family farm, the brothers had decided to seek a better life and worked on a farm north of Sydney.
On the 21st of October 1917 the 31st Battalion occupied a part of the frontline, east of Zonnebeke on the Broodseinde Ridge. In anticipation of the Second Battle of Passchendaele, from the 26th of October 1917 till the 10th of November 1917, the Battalion started sending out patrols to reconnoiter the German positions at night. German artillery was active throughout the daylight on the 23rd of October 1917, shelling the frontline and support line.
During the night of the 23rd and 24th of October the Battalion sent out patrols trying to locate occupied posts, but no Germans could be found. The German artillery was active throughout the day and the following day. Especially the front line and support lines on the left sector were heavily shelled. Around 5.30 p.m. the German artillery reopened fire on the 31st Battalion’s front- and support lines on the Broodseinde Ridge, in reply to an allied barrage. The shelling was incessant for over two hours, when the fire gradually eased down to occasional shells during the night.
Private William Wheldon was killed in action on the 24th of October 1917. He was initially buried near Romulus Wood. His remains were exhumed after the war and interred in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
Sources 3
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31st Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/48/27). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |
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Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10571169 Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, WHELDON W). http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/480491 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=8508db26-5515-4b0f-8f56-35aa1d4d7282 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7627830 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=320335 |