William Savage
From Our Contribution
 WW1 Pictorial Honour Roll of West Australians accessed 7 Jan 2018 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | not known 1895 |
| Place of Birth | Sheffield, England |
| Death | 26 Sep 1917 |
| Place of Death | Polygon Wood, Belgium |
| Age at Enlistment | 21 years, 1 month |
| Description | 5'9½" (1.77m) tall; weight 163 lbs (73.9kg); Fair complexion, brown eyes, fair hair. |
| Occupation | cleaner |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | NOK Spring Park road, Midland Junction, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother Mrs Ellen Savage |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 2991 |
| Date of Enlistment | 14 Jul 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 51st battalion, 7th Reinforcement / 13th Brigade, 4th Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 9 Nov 1916 - 10 Jan 1917 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A8 Argyllshire |
| Fate | Killed in Action 26 Sep 1917 Polygon Wood |
| Monument |
Jarrahdale Honour Roll Menin Gate Memorial ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford) Australian War Memorial |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Contents
Pre War
War Service
A fortnight after entering Blackboy Hill camp, William was allocated to the 8th reinforcement draft for the 51st Battalion. We might assume that e made good progress as a month later he was transferred to the earlier, 7th draft for the same battalion, travelling with them to England.
On arrival in England he was sent to the 11th Training Battalion at Codford where he had a troublesome month of February. On 11 Feb he was charged with (1) being AWOL from 1:00am on 3 Feb 1917 until 11:00am on 7 Feb 1917; and (2) failing to appear at a place of rendezvous appointed by his Commanding Officer. Found guilty he was awarded 168 hours detention, with forfeiture of 11 days pay. On the 21st he was charged with having on 18 Feb 1917 neglected to obey an order given by his superior officer in that he did not rise at reveille when ordered to do so by the Sergeant of the Guard. Awarded 2 days Field Punishment No. 2.
William proceeded overseas to France through Folkestone on 9 May 1917, and after a few days in the 4th Division's Base Depot at Étaples, he joined the 51st Battalion at Buire in France on 13 May 1917. This was just before their move from the Somme to the Messines area in preparation for an attack on German positions there over the next few months.
Four months later, William was a member of the Australian forces that attacked the German front lines in the Polygon Wood area, advancing off Westhoek Ridge. Moving into position for the attack began at 1:30am, and they advanced towards their objectives at 5:50am, and quickly achieved them with casualties described in the 51st Battalion War Diary, as very slight.
Sadly, however, William was a casualty and his records simply note that he was killed in action on that day, and that his grave was never found, leaving him to be memorialised on the Menin Gate.
Notes
This soldier is the best fit for the W Savage on the Jarrahdale Memorial Board and the handwritten list.