William Lionel Stalker

William Lionel Stalker

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1893
Place of Birth	Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales
Death	22 Jan 1917
Place of Death	Armentieres, France
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 10 months
Description	5'5" (1.65m) tall ; 112lbs 50.802 kg ; dark complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Church of England
Address	none given
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Dugald Stalker
Military Information
Reg Number	180
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	36th Battalion, A Company
Date of Embarkation	13 May 1916 ‒ 9 Jul 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A72 Beltana Sydney to Devonport
Fate	KIA 22 Jan 1917 Armentières
Monument	Gosnells War Memorial Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll St Georges Cathedral, Perth Australian War Memorial
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

12 months experience with the Militia reserve.

War Service

Enlisted in Sydney, and on 24 Feb 1916 was posted to the 36th Battalion's A Company. No other records of his time in Australia and England are available, but he would have undertaken about 10 weeks basic training prior to boarding a ship for England. On arrival he and his battalion, as part of the 3rd Division under John Monash undertook another 3 months training before embarking for France. They proceeded overseas to France from Southampton on 22 Nov 1916 to le Havre in France aboard HMT Caeserea. After two days in the Division's Base they entrained for Bailleul, and then Armentières.

By late December they were in the front lines near Houplines on the eastern outskirts of Armentières, but they were able to spend Christmas in billets in Armentières. Early January 1917 saw the battalion providing working parties just behind the front line and then on 19 Jan 1917 the battalion's next turn in the front line came on 19 Jan 1917, and on 22 Jan 1917 they were raided by German troops. The 36th Battalion's War Diary gives us a snapshot view of the action:

22-1-17 "Enemy started light shelling at 10 a.m. At 2 p.m. Locality 16 & 17 was heavily bombarded, also Locality 14, which ended in a box barrage being put on at 4:10 p.m. and an attack by the enemy from the pimple salient. They entered our trenches but were only in 10 minutes. Our casualties 11 killed, 36 wounded, 4 missing. It is quite possible the 4 missing have been buried by minnies."

William was one of those reported as missing. The Red Cross file held in the AWM provides some detail of what befell him and one other. A subsequent Court of Enquiry on 17 Feb 1917 declared William to have been Killed in action on 22 Jan 1917.

"On the 22nd January 1917 at Houplines, Armentieres the Germans bombarded our trenches heavily before raiding them. Stalker and another (Williams 1706) were missing for several days after the bombardment. We found their bodies buried in a shelter and frozen in the ground and up to the time of my being wounded on the 6th February their bodies had not been dug out owing to the frost. There can be no doubt at all as to the identity of these men. I am surprised they have not been reported killed" Pte O.N. Smith A Coy 36th Battalion.
" I know Stalker and Williams were buried alive during an attack by the Prussian Guard. The dug out fell in. By the time the Prussians retired (with several of our men as prisoners) the dug out was so frozen that we could not get to the men in time to save them. I was one of those who tried to dig them out. This was at Armentieres about January 22nd 1917. 84 Pte K.Finlayson 2 Pl A Coy 36th Battalion. (same platoon as Stalker).

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  Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery Armentieres
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  CWCG

Following William's death his mother Mrs Christina Stalker was awarded a pension on 10/- fortnightly

Notes

Parents had been living in Gosnells, but moved to Walcott street Highgate in about 1917.

Commemorated with a bronze plaque) in St George's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia: 'Members of the Cathedral Choir who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918. The stop on the Great Organ Lieblick Gedacht is given by fellow choristers and friends Anzac Day 1931.' Parents: Dugald and Christena STALKER, 100 Walcott Street, Perth, Western Australia

Williams records are the barest possible, lacking in detail