William George Tait

William George Tait

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1871
Place of Birth	Newcastle-on-Tyne, England
Death	7 Nov 1946, aged 53
Place of Death	Edward Millen House, Victoria Park, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	43 years, 1 month
Description	5' 7" (1.70m) tall ; 139 lbs 63.049 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Butcher
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Mary Tait
Military Information
Reg Number	4288
Date of Enlistment	8 Mar 1915
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	Field Artillery Brigade 3, Reinforcement 5 transferred to 8th Battery, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	26 April ‒ ? May 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A20 Hororata
Date of Return	28 February ‒ 10 April 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A68 Anchises
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial (South panel)
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

A Boer War veteran, with 1½ years in South Africa. Electoral Roll entries - 1916 Armadale, butcher, with Mary.

War Service

Entering camp on 8 Mar 1915 Bill was placed in the Depot Company until 24 Apr 1915 when he was allocated to the 5th reinforcement draft for the 8th Field Artillery Brigade. In training for only a little over a month before he was shipped off to Egypt.

In Egypt he joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 21 Jul 1915, and at Gallipoli was attached to the Artillery's Forward Control Officer. On 3 Dec 1915 he was taken to hospital ill, and four days later evacuated on HMHS Glenart Castle with defective teeth.

Admitted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Cairo for treatment from 11 Dec 1915 until 17 Jan 1916. On the completion of the treatment he was taken on strength by the 3rd Division Ammunition Column before transferring to base units in Cairo, Ghezireh, and Giza before returning again to his unit on 8 Mar 1916.

Arrived in Marseilles, France on 29 Mar 1916 and on 15 May 1916 he was transferred to the 21st Field Artillery Brigade. On 6 Oct 1916 he hesitated to obey an order from an NCO and was awarded 7 days Field Punishment.

Transferred to the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade on 11 Jan 1917 as a Driver, he appears to have seen out the rest of the war with them. As a Gallipoli veteran he had priority for return home, and on 23 Jan 1919 he embarked for England where he spent time in No 4 Command Depot at Wareham while being processed for return to Australia.

Bill was discharged by the 5th Military District on 10 Jun 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 at 94 Zebina street, East Perth; 1931 at Short street, Bayswater; 1936 - 1937 at 17 Moir street, North Perth, now a storeman; 1943 Mary is at 43 Sherwood street, East Perth.

Death notice makes no mention of children. Mary died 30 Oct 1973 aged 93 in Mt Lawley.

William was an active member of the Mt Lawley - Inglewood RSL Sub Branch.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial