William Thomas Driver

William Thomas Driver

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	London, England
Death	16 Aug 1953, aged 78
Place of Death	East Cannington, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	41 years, 5 months
Description	5'8" (1.73m) tall ; 140lbs 63.503 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair ; tattoo of Union Jack & American flags on chest.
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Methodist
Address	c/- East Cannington Post Office, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Kathleen May Driver
Military Information
Reg Number	[ 5317]
Date of Enlistment	20 Mar 1916
Rank	Sapper
Unit/Formation	September 1916 Reinforcements, transferred to Engineers - 2nd Tunnelling Company
Date of Embarkation	29 Sep 1916 ‒ 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return	16 Jun 1919 ‒ 24 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	RMS Ormonde
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Gosnells RSL Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Prior to arrival in Australia he had served for 18 years with the Indian Royal Garrison Artillery. Had been refused enlistment in the AIF previously as he could not hop!

Electoral Roll entries: 1913 at 27 Tower street, Leederville, labourer; 1914 c/- PO East Cannington; 1917 Pipe Track, Cannington, soldier.

War Service

On 20 Mar 1916 Bill entered camp and began basic training. ON 10 May 1916 he was transferred to Miners Reinforcements, which necessitated his going to Seymour in Victoria for specialist training. Departing from Melbourne, he arrived in England on 2 Dec 1916, and after a brief period at Perham Downs, was quickly moved overseas to France (on 1 Jan 1917 via Folkestone on HMT Arundel).

Initially posted to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, on 30 Mar 1917 he was taken on strength by the 2nd Tunnelling Company. From 4 - 13 Apr 1917 he was ill, no indication in his records as to the nature of the illness.

From 10 - 14 Jan 1919 Bill was granted leave in Paris. On 25 Mar 1919 Bill presented to the amalgamated 5/6/7th Australian Field Ambulance with influenza. Passed on to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station the same day, and on 30 Mar 1919 he was placed on Ambulance Train14 for Boulogne where he was admitted to the 7th Stationary Hospital on 31 Mar 1919. On 4 Apr 1919 he was released fro hospital and sent to the Base Depot before rejoining his unit on 11 Apr 1919.

Returned to England on 26 Apr 1919, he entered the No 2 Command Depot for return to Australia processing. On his return he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 31 Aug 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1925 - 1949 Pipe Track, Cannington, labourer (during all of this time his wife Kathleen May maintained her address as c/- East Cannington Post office). Following Bill's death, Kathleen May moved to 60 Carnarvon street, Victoria Park where she lived until 22 Oct 1980, when aged 96 she died in East Victoria Park.