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Difference between revisions of "William George Davis"

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{{infobox soldier
+
{{infobox soldier ww2
| image          =[[File:Unknown.png|border|400px]]
+
| image          =[[File:Davis_William_George.jpg]]
 
| caption        =
 
| caption        =
 
| image2          =
 
| image2          =
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| death           = 6 Oct 1998, aged 84
 
| death           = 6 Oct 1998, aged 84
 
| placeofdeath   = Bayswater, Western Australia
 
| placeofdeath   = Bayswater, Western Australia
| enlistmentage   =  
+
| enlistmentage   = 26 years, 9 months
| description   =  
+
| description   = 5'8½" (1.74m) tall medium complexion, grey eyes, brown hair, two moles on left cheek
| height          =  
+
| height          = 5'8½" (1.74m)
 
| weight          =  
 
| weight          =  
| complexion      =  
+
| complexion      = medium
| eyes            =  
+
| eyes            = grey
| hair            =  
+
| hair            = brown
| descriptionnote =  
+
| descriptionnote = two moles on left cheek
| occupation   =  
+
| occupation   = Woodcutter
| religion   =  
+
| religion   = Roman Catholic
| address   = Armadale
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| address   = William street, Armadale, Western Australia
| relation   = Father ?
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| relation   = Father  
| nextofkin      = Mr Robert Davis
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| nextofkin      = Mr Robert Walter Davis
| regnumber   = WX13819
+
| regnumber   = [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6456035  WX13819]
 
| enlistmentdate  = 3 Jun 1941
 
| enlistmentdate  = 3 Jun 1941
 
| rank           = Private
 
| rank           = Private
| unit      = 2nd/11th (City of Perth) Australian Infantry Battalion
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| unit      = [[2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion]]
| embarkationdatefrom =  
+
| 1stembarkationdatefrom= 9 Sep 1941
| embarkationdateto =  
+
| 1stembarkationdateto= 23 Sep 1941
| shipembarked   =  
+
| 1sttransportembarked= HMT Queen Mary
| embarkedshipnote =
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| 1sttransportnote= Fremantle to Suez, Egypt
| embarkationdatefrom2 =  
+
 
| embarkationdateto2 =  
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| 1stdateofreturnfrom= 16 Feb 1942
| shipembarked2   =  
+
| 1stdateofreturnto= 17 Mar 1942
| embarkedshipnote2 =
+
| 1sttransportreturn= HMT Durban Castle
| dateofreturnfrom =  
+
| 1sttransportreturnnote= Middle East to Adelaide
| dateofreturnto  =  
+
 
| shipreturned    =  
+
| 2ndembarkationdatefrom= 5 Nov 1944
| shipreturnednote =
+
| 2ndembarkationdateto= 13 Nov 1944
| dateofreturnfrom2 =  
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| 2ndtransportembarked= HMT Katoomba
| dateofreturnto2  =  
+
| 2ndtransportnote= Townsville to Aitape, PNG
| shipreturned2    =  
+
 
| shipreturnednote2 =
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| 2nddateofreturnfrom= 15 Jan 1946
| fate1           =  
+
| 2nddateofreturnto= 23 Jan 1946
 +
| 2ndtransportreturn= SS Suva
 +
| 2ndtransportreturnnote= Lae, PNG to Sydney
 +
 
 +
| fate1           = Returned to Australia - twice
 
| fate2          =  
 
| fate2          =  
 
| fate3          =  
 
| fate3          =  
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| monumentother  =
 
| monumentother  =
 
| monumentothernote =
 
| monumentothernote =
| medal1   =
+
| medal1   = 1939-45 Star
| medal2          =  
+
| medal2          = Africa Star
| medal3          =
+
| medal3          = Pacific Star
| medal4          =
+
| medal4          = War Medal 1939-45
 +
| medal5          = Australian Service Medal 1939-45
 
}}
 
}}
  
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==War Service==
 
==War Service==
Enlisted at Claremont camp.
+
Enlisted at Claremont camp 3 Jun 1941 and three days later he reported tothe Naval Base Training Depot. On 10 Jul 1941 he transferred to No 1 Training Battalion at Northam and five days later he was granted a week of pre-embarkation leave. On 9 September he boarded [[HMT Queen Mary]] for the Middle East via Trincomalee in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), disembarking in Suez on 23 Sep 1941. On arrival he was sent to the [[19th Australian Infantry Training Battalion]] before being posted to the [[2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion]] on 13 Nov 1941. With Australian troops being brought home to face the Japanese, he boarded [[HMT Durban Castle]] on 16 Feb 1942, disembarking in Adelaide on 17 Mar 1942.
 +
 
  
After arriving in the Middle East, the 2/11th trained in Palestine and Egypt. A decision to reorganise Australian infantry brigades along British lines, with three battalions instead of four, meant the 2/11th was now part of the 19th Brigade, but it remained part of the 6th Division. The battalion went into action for the first time at Bardia on 5 Jan 1941 and, as part of the Allied advance into Italian-occupied Libya, subsequently fought at Tobruk on 21-22 Jan 1941, and to secure Derna airfield on 25 Jan 1941. It was advancing to the south of Benghazi when the Italians surrendered on 7 Feb 1941.  
+
On 7 Aug 1943 Bill was admitted to the [[2/2nd Australian General Hospital]] with scabies, returning to the battalion on 18th August. On 29 Feb 1944 Bill was granted profficiency pay, backdated to 1 Jul 1943, and on 18 Sep 1944 he was appointed Lance Corporal. On 5 Nov 1944 at Townsville he embarked on [[HMT Katoomba]], disembarking at Aitape in New Guinea on 13 Nov 1944. On 3 Feb 1945 Bill chose to revert to Private. He was seen by the [[2/2nd Australian Field Ambulance]] on 15 Apr 1945 with a fever, later diagnosed as Dengue. They admitted him the next day to the [[2/11th Australian General Hospital]]. On 26 Apr 1945 he was released to the 6th Division's Rest Camp, but returned to the battalion the same day. However, on 22 Jun 1945 he again needed medical help, this time from the [[2/7th Australian Field Ambulance]] for Tinea Circinata. He was passed on the same day to the [[104th Australian Casualty Clearing Station]] and they forwarded him the next day to the [[2/11th Australian General Hospital]] to be treated for dermatitis. Released on 3 July it was not until 9 Jul 1945 that he rejoined the battalion.
  
On 10 Apr 1941 they embarked in Alexandria harbour for Greece. The Allied forces, however, were unable to hold back the attacking Germans. The 2/11th withdrew from its initial positions at Kalabaka and remained on the move until it occupied rearguard positions at Brallos Pass a week later. It fought and slowed the Germans there on 24 April and then continued its withdrawal to Megara, where it was evacuated by sea on the night of 25 Apr 1941. The battalion landed on Crete the next day. It was subsequently deployed with the 2/1st Battalion to defend Retimo airfield, which was held tenaciously for ten days following the landing of German paratroops on 20 May. German successes elsewhere on Crete, however, made surrender inevitable. Many 2/11th soldiers attempted to escape from Crete but only a relatively small number ultimately succeeded; most were taken prisoner
 
  
Discharged 5 Feb 1946.
+
Bill was transferred on 7 Nov 1945 to the [[2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion]], and a month (7 Dec 1945) later he moved on to the ''2/1st Australian Field Company''. Two days later he was posted to the [[2nd Australian Army Troops Company]], before on 30 Jan 1946 when he was sent for discharge which took place on 5 Feb 1946.
  
 
==Post War==
 
==Post War==
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[[Category:Born Australia ww2]]
 
[[Category:Born Australia ww2]]
 
[[Category:Born WA ww2]]
 
[[Category:Born WA ww2]]
[[Category:]]
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[[Category:Wood cutter ww2]]
[[Category:]]
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[[Category:Catholic ww2]]
[[Category:]]
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[[Category:Returned to Australia ww2]]
[[Category:2nd/11th (City of Perth) Australian Infantry Battalion]]
 
 
[[Category:Armadale-Kelmscott ww2]]
 
[[Category:Armadale-Kelmscott ww2]]

Latest revision as of 19:56, 7 August 2022

William George Davis
Davis William George.jpg
Personal Information
Date of Birth 29 Aug 1914
Place of Birth Yarloop, Western Australia
Death 6 Oct 1998, aged 84
Place of Death Bayswater, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment 26 years, 9 months
Description 5'8½" (1.74m) tall ; ; medium complexion ; grey eyes ; brown hair ; two moles on left cheek
Occupation Woodcutter
Religion Roman Catholic
Address William street, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin Father , Mr Robert Walter Davis
Military Information
Reg Number WX13819
Date of Enlistment 3 Jun 1941
Rank Private
Unit/Formation 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion
Military Movement
1st Departure from Australia
Journey Dates 9 Sep 1941 ‒ 23 Sep 1941
Transport Details HMT Queen Mary Fremantle to Suez, Egypt
Return to Australia
Journey Dates 16 Feb 1942 ‒ 17 Mar 1942
Transport Details HMT Durban Castle Middle East to Adelaide
2nd Departure from Australia
Journey Dates 5 Nov 1944 ‒ 13 Nov 1944
Transport Details HMT Katoomba Townsville to Aitape, PNG
Return to Australia
Journey Dates 15 Jan 1946 ‒ 23 Jan 1946
Transport Details SS Suva Lae, PNG to Sydney
Post War Details
Fate Returned to Australia - twice
Medals 1939-45 Star
Africa Star
Pacific Star
War Medal 1939-45
Australian Service Medal 1939-45



Pre War

War Service

Enlisted at Claremont camp 3 Jun 1941 and three days later he reported tothe Naval Base Training Depot. On 10 Jul 1941 he transferred to No 1 Training Battalion at Northam and five days later he was granted a week of pre-embarkation leave. On 9 September he boarded HMT Queen Mary for the Middle East via Trincomalee in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), disembarking in Suez on 23 Sep 1941. On arrival he was sent to the 19th Australian Infantry Training Battalion before being posted to the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion on 13 Nov 1941. With Australian troops being brought home to face the Japanese, he boarded HMT Durban Castle on 16 Feb 1942, disembarking in Adelaide on 17 Mar 1942.


On 7 Aug 1943 Bill was admitted to the 2/2nd Australian General Hospital with scabies, returning to the battalion on 18th August. On 29 Feb 1944 Bill was granted profficiency pay, backdated to 1 Jul 1943, and on 18 Sep 1944 he was appointed Lance Corporal. On 5 Nov 1944 at Townsville he embarked on HMT Katoomba, disembarking at Aitape in New Guinea on 13 Nov 1944. On 3 Feb 1945 Bill chose to revert to Private. He was seen by the 2/2nd Australian Field Ambulance on 15 Apr 1945 with a fever, later diagnosed as Dengue. They admitted him the next day to the 2/11th Australian General Hospital. On 26 Apr 1945 he was released to the 6th Division's Rest Camp, but returned to the battalion the same day. However, on 22 Jun 1945 he again needed medical help, this time from the 2/7th Australian Field Ambulance for Tinea Circinata. He was passed on the same day to the 104th Australian Casualty Clearing Station and they forwarded him the next day to the 2/11th Australian General Hospital to be treated for dermatitis. Released on 3 July it was not until 9 Jul 1945 that he rejoined the battalion.


Bill was transferred on 7 Nov 1945 to the 2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion, and a month (7 Dec 1945) later he moved on to the 2/1st Australian Field Company. Two days later he was posted to the 2nd Australian Army Troops Company, before on 30 Jan 1946 when he was sent for discharge which took place on 5 Feb 1946.

Post War

Notes


External Links