Boase, William Vernon

No.205 Lance Corporal William Vernon Boase 

7^th Battalion AIF

William Vernon Boase was born in Fremantle Western Australia in 1896 to William and Agnes Boase. The family lived in Rose Street Beaconsfield. It is unknown at what date the family left WA to live in Victoria but by 1903 they living in West Brunswick and William attended the Morland & West Brunswick State School. William participated in the school cadet scheme and also served for a short time in the 18th Infantry regiment. After leaving school he became a bricklayer and was working as such when he enlisted into the AIF.

On the 17^th August 1914 he offered his services and was accepted into the AIF. The medical examination at Moonee Ponds found William to be 5 feet 8 & ¾ inches tall; weight of 10 stone; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian.

William was assigned to A Company of 7^th Battalion AIF with the regimental number 205. They trained at Broadmeadows Camp with the other battalions of the 2^nd Brigade until they were ready to embark. On the 31^st October 1914, William and the 7^th Battalion embarked from Melbourne on the A20 H.M.A.T. “Hororata”. The ship was part of a convoy which travelled to Albany WA and waited there for the all-clear to proceed to Egypt.

After their arrival in Egypt they based themselves at Mena Camp near Cairo and trained there till April 1915 when they were sent to Lemnos Island off the Turkish coast. In the Australian sector the 3^rd Brigade would make the initial landing on the Turkish coast with the 1^st & 2^nd Brigades reinforcing them. The 7^th Battalion were split along the Anzac beaches, some were at Ari Burnu while others attempted to land near Fisherman’s Hut at the end of North Beach.

William got ashore safely and survived the landing unscathed, being promoted to Lance Corporal on the 30^th April. In the first week of May the 2^nd Brigade were withdrawn from Anzac Cove to assist the British troops who had become bogged down at Cape Helles. The assaults by the 2^nd Brigade on Krithia were futile with the men being shot down in large numbers. William was killed on the 8^th May 1915. His identity disc was taken off his body and returned to his family though his burial place was not recorded. Thus William Boase is commemorated on the Cape Helles Memorial Turkey.

His brother Richard served with the 6^th Field Company Engineers and survived the war.