HALL, William Ernest

William enlisted at Warwick, Queensland, in May 1916 after passing his medical examination at Texas, Queensland the previous month. His enlistment papers record him as a twenty four year old Stockman employed at Gunyan Station, a large property near Bonshaw and Texas.

He joined the 4th Machine Gun Battalion and sailed from Melbourne, Victoria, on the ship HMAT A20 Hororata in November 1916, arriving at Plymouth, England, at the end of January 1917. After a few months training he went to France and in October that year was promoted to Corporal.

William was awarded a Military Medal ‘For bravery and devotion to duty at Anzac Ridge, Ypres’ when he and two others ‘worked their machine guns under heavy enemy artillery fire and displayed the utmost coolness and disregard to personal danger’ (Commonwealth Gazette No 31, 7 March 1918).

During 1918 William was hospitalised with bronchitis and had leave in England. He returned to Australia on the ship Delta in 1919.

William’s name is recorded on the Bonshaw Honor Roll.