Year of birth: 1888

Place of birth: St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia

Last known residence: Box Hill, Victoria, Australia

Profession: theatre proprietor

Religion: Church of England

Country: Australia

Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 7340

Enlistment date: 02/05/1916

Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Units:  —  Australian Infantry, 5th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 04/10/1917

Place of death: Zonnebeke Château Grounds, Zonnebeke, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 29

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Francis James Williams, a former theatre proprietor, was born in 1888 in St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of George and Emma Lee Williams. Before the war he married Ada May Williams and lived in Rutland Road., Box Hill, Victoria. On 2 May 1916 he enlisted at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Francis James served as a Private in the 5th Battalion, part of the 2nd Australian Brigade, of the 1st Australian Division.

On the 4th of October, the Battle of Broodseinde was fought. The 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade carried out a mission, with the goal to capture the positions of the enemy as far as the Line Celtic (D.29.d.40.45. to D.29.b.10.60.). The objectives were the red and blue line. The 8th Bn. A.I.F. had to get to the red line, the 6th and 7th Bn. A.I.F. had to reach the blue line. The 5th Bn. A.I.F. was in reserve. At midnight on the night of October 3 and 4, the locations of the various units were as followed: the Brigade headquarters were located at Westhoek Ridge (J1.d.75.10), the 5th Bn. A.I.F. was positioned at the Front Line, with headquarters at J.7.b.6.5., the 6th Bn. A.I.F. was located at Westhoek Ridge, with headquarters at J.7.b.6.8., the 7th Bn. A.I.F. found itself at Westhoek Ridge, with headquarters at J.7.b.5.5. and the 8th Bn. A.I.F. was positioned at Anzac Ridge with headquarters at J.9.a.6.5. The 8th Bn. A.I.F. reached the red line at 6.30 a.m. and advanced 100 yards beyond, to a position of better command and out of the enemy’s barrage, just behind and parallel to the Becelaere-Broodseinde Road, with points of the line touching the road. A hostile Battery was in position on this road just in front of the Line, but they were captured. The red line was consolidated by 7.30 a.m. The blue line was also captured and consolidated. Throughout the day and during the following night, the enemy’s shelling continued to be very severe over the whole captured area, on the old front line and in the valley rear thereof.

Francis James Williams, aged 29, was killed in action on October 4, 1917. He was killed during the attack. His Red Cross Wounded and Missing file states that he and another man named Ellison went to far forward and were killed by the Australian creeping barrage. Private Williams was initially buried near Zonnebeke Lake at 28.D.28.a.30.20. His remains were exhumed and interred at Perth (China Wall) Cemetery, Plot IV, Row L, Grave 2.

2nd Brigade Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/2/30). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

5th Battalion Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/22/32). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used

Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/104283

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7278212

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=6ea64650-7cec-42b2-9f23-877ce41b8be7

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=324819