William John Howe

William John Howe

Personal Information
Date of Birth	6 Aug 1888
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	17 Oct 1917 at 3:00am
Place of Death	Langebsalza, Germany
Age at Enlistment	27 years, 1 month
Description	5'10¼" (1.78m) tall ; 150 lbs 68.039 kg ; sallow complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Locomotive fireman
Religion	Roman Catholic
Address	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Thomas Joseph Howe
Military Information
Reg Number	3148
Date of Enlistment	5 Oct 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, D Company
Date of Embarkation	18 Jan 1916 ‒ 16 Feb 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A7 Medic Fremantle to Alexandria
Fate	Wounded in Action 26 Jul 1917 Missing in Action, later Prisoner of War Died of Wounds in captivity 17 Oct 1917
Monument	Jarrahdale War Memorial Jarrahdale Honour Roll ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford) Australian War Memorial The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial Ballarat, Victoria
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1910 a barman at Jarrahdale; 1913 - 1915 a fireman at No.6 Mill, Jarrahdale

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 5 Oct 1915 and on 1 Nov 1915 he was allocated to the 7th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion. Bill was taken on strength in France by the 28th Battalion on 16 Jun 1916 with the battalion in billets at Rue Dormoire. Thus he was in time to participate in the attacks on Poziéres during July.

On 23 July a 12:30am the 28th Battalion together with the other units in the 1st and 3rd Brigades attacked the enemy front trenches, and pushed on to the ruined village itself. the German response, with this being the only real advance made by on the British Army front, was savage and included three days of heavy shelling of the positions won by the Australians.

Bill's injury was caused by shrapnel from a shell and although he was posted missing on 29 Jul his injury was probably caused by the severe shelling they received from 24 - 27 Jul 1916. In any case the battalion was withdrawn from the line on the 27th, leaving Bill behind for the enemy to tend to. German records show that he was captured on 29 Jul 1916. Bill died in captivity on 17 Oct 1917 from general weakness.

Wounded with shell wounds to the spine, both legs and bladder. Injuries to the back included damage to the 11th and 12th vertebrae. Sgt A.G. Lester of the 14th Hampshire Regiment, not only responded to the Red Cross, but also to Bill's father and sister. He advised that Bill was wounded in the lower spine, leaving him helpless from the waist down, and that he died of a 'consumptive stomach', and was seen several times by a French Priest, who also buried him in the camp cemetery at Langensalza. He felt that the German Doctor had done all that he could with limited resources. .

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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

Buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Cassel, Germany (Plot VI, Row D, Grave No 9)

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial
• Ballarat POW Memorial