William Percival Nairn

Ancestry.com
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Payneham, South Australia
Death	28 Jun 1945, aged 52
Place of Death	Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 9 months
Description	5' 5½" (1.66m) tall; weight 140 lbs (63.5 kg); fresh complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair.
Occupation	farmer
Religion	Methodist
Address	Cardup, Beenup, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr William Nairn
Military Information
Reg Number	3189
Date of Enlistment	13 Nov 1916
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	46th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement, A Coy transferred to 4th Machine Gun Battalion /4th Division
Date of Embarkation	29 Dec 1916 - 3 Mar 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A34 Persic
Date of Return	21 Jun 1919 - 3 Aug 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Königin Luise
Fate	Wounded in Action 28 Mar 1918 near Albert Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Beenup panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Following barely a month's training at Blackboy Hill camp, William and his reinforcement draft are shipped to England where they enter the 12th Training Battalion at Codford.

A further 4 months of training passes before William proceeds overseas to France via Folkestone on 2 Jul 1917. Taken on strength by the 46th Battalion on 21 Jul 1917 in the Doulieu area along with 6 other reinforcements for the unit. At the time the battalion was training, preparatory to rejoining the fray. Appointed Lance Corporal on 30th October 1917.

On 28 Mar 1918 the unit was resting, having marched some distance to place themselves in front of the Enemy's advance on Albert, when a shell landed in the midst of A Company, killing 5 men. No other item of interest is reported so we might assume this was the cause of Nairn's injury, a shell wound to his left thigh and hip.

He was seen first by the 12th Australian Field Ambulance before passing through the Casualty Clearing Station to the 18th US General Hospital on 6 Apr 1918. Evacuated same day to Bath War Hospital on the HMHS Newhaven, and on his release in June from the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford he was transferred to the Machine Gun Section.

After training Nairn was sent back to France via Folkestone where he joined the Machine Gun Depot on 14 Sep 1918 and was taken on strength by the 4th Machine Gun Battalion two days later as they prepared to join the attack on the Hindenberg Outpost Line.

Remained in France after the Armistice until 29 Apr 1919 when he returned to England to prepare for Australia.

Discharged 5th Military District on 10 Sep 1919.

Post War

In 1936 married Ethel May Coles. Ethel died on 29 Jun 1976 in Palmerston street, Mosman park, aged 82. Children were Yvonne and Joan

Electoral Roll entries - 1916 - 1943 Cardup estate, Beenup, farmer.

In WW2 served in the Militia with Reg No W29319. He served from 31 Oct 1940 till his death from illness on 28 Jun 1945, as a Warrant Officer Class 1 with the 26th Works Company Citizens Military Forces.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial