Victor Thomas Emanuel Compassi

Victor Thomas Emanuel Compassi

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1895
Place of Birth	Perth, Western Australia
Death	31 Mar 1936
Place of Death	not known
Age at Enlistment	20 years old
Description	5'7" (1.70m) tall ; 140 lbs 63.503 kg ; medium complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Miner
Religion	Roman Catholic
Address	NOK: Yamba Orchard, Keysbrook, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Elizabeth Hunter
Military Information
Reg Number	2645
Date of Enlistment	21 Jun 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement / 4th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	2 Sep 1915 ‒ ? Sep 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A68 Anchises
Date of Return	11 Apr 1916
Ship Returned On	HMAT A54 Runic
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Keysbrook Roll of Honour
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Pre enlistment Victor was living at 177 Piesse street, Boulder employed as a presser

War Service

Allocated to the 8th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, he travelled with them to Egypt aboard HMAT A68 Anchises which departed Fremantle on 2 Sep 1915 and arrive din Egypt later that month. On 18 Oct 1915 he boarded the HMT Kalyan in Alexandria, and disembarked at Mudros on 23 Oct 1915 where he was taken on strength by the 16th Battalion.

Ill, in late December he was embarked on the HMAT A11 Ascanius for Alexandria, arriving on 31 Dec 1915. Admitted the same day to the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital in Ismailia with jaundice and an in-growing toe nail. On 14 Jan he was loaded onto a hospital train for Cairo where he was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital. Recovered he was transferred to the Australian & New Zealand Convalescent Depot on 24 Jan 1916. His health may have deteriorated, as on 19 Feb 1916 he was admitted to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital where he was diagnosed with a cardiac problem, described as a 'Very disorderly heart'. Transferred again on 9 Mar 1916, this time to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital also in Heliopolis.

Leaving there on 10 Apr 1916 to travel to Port Suez where next day he boards the HMAT A54 Runic for Australia. and returned to Australia due to cardiac problems "Very Disorderly Heart". Discharged by the 5th Military District on 19 May 1916 as permanently unfit for further service. Victor's illness was reported in Australian Papers

Post War

While Victor does not appear in Electoral Rolls post WW1 (at least not under his own name), a number of newspaper articles in the early 1920s mention him at Cook on the Trans line. On 14 May 1935 the Kalgoorlie Miner at page 4 reports that V.T. Compassi from Quorn in South Australia (representing the Commonwealth Railways), was attending an Engine Drivers Conference in Adelaide as a delegate. The same article was repeated in the West Australian.

In the 7 Sep 1932 edition of the South Australian Police Gazette, Victor, together with two other men was charged with breaching the Licencing Act in the Transcontinental Hotel at Quorn. Fined 30/- each with £1 costs.

Notes

No record of him ever reaching Gallipoli is contained in his records, however an official search of his records and of the Battalion War Diary led Military Authorities to conclude that he had served on Gallipoli at some point between 23 Oct and 30 Dec 1915.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial