Browne, William Thomas

No.2885 – Private William Thomas Browne – 

48^th Battalion AIF

William Thomas Browne was born in Allandale Victoria in 1885 to William and Theresa Browne. He grew up in the Victorian Goldfields and attended Ballarat State School. The family soon moved to Western Australia and took up residence in Fremantle. William found work as a Timber Mill Employee and also a Teamster. In 1906 he married Lilian Kell and they resided at ‘Ocean View’ in Bay Road North Fremantle, where they would have four children, three daughters and a son though unfortunately the son would die in infancy.

On the 23^rd August 1916 William presented himself to the Fremantle recruitment office and enlisted in the AIF. The medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 7 inches in height; weight of 142 lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Wesleyan. Initially assigned to No.81 Depot, on the 14^th September 1916 William was assigned to the 7^th Reinforcements to the 48^th Battalion.

They trained at Blackboy Hill Camp for two months until they departed from Fremantle on the H.M.A.T. “Argyllshire” on the 9^th November 1916. The group disembarked at Devonport England on the 10^th January 1917 and marched out to the 12^th Training Battalion at Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains. William would remain in England until June 1917; his only break from training was a period of two days illness in late April 1917.

On the 19^th June 1917, William left England for France and joined the 4^th Australian Base Depot at Le Havre. He stayed here for a few weeks of training and joined up with the 48^th Battalion on the 9^th July 1917. The 48^th Battalion were then in the vicinity of Messines and for the next few months would be on trench duty in Belgium. In September 1917 the 48^th prepared for their role in the Third Battle of Ypres. The 48^th would be badly hit in the October battles but William had been wounded earlier in the battle.

On the 29^th September 1917 he had been wounded by shellfire in the arm and was initially treated at the 12^th Field Ambulance and then the 10^th Casualty Clearing Station. On the 9^th October 1917 he was admitted to the 1^st Convalescent Depot at Boulogne. Having recovered from his wound, William was sent back to the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. By the 27^th October 1917 he was back with the 48^th Battalion. They would spend the winter in the wet and muddy trenches in Belgium.

On the 12^th March 1918 William was granted a period of leave, returning on the 3^rd of April. During his absence a great change had occurred on the battlefield as on the 21^st March 1918 the Germans launched their massive Spring Offensive breaking through the Third & Fifth British Armies. The 48^th Battalion as part of the 4^th Division were sent to around Dernancourt to hold the Germans back. Two days after he returned from leave the Germans launched a large attack on the area around Dernancourt. Much heavy fighting occurred and casualties were heavy for the 48^th though William came through unscathed.

On the 25^th May 1918 William went AWOL for three days and was fined four days pay as a result.

William stayed with the 48^th Battalion through the rest of the war, surviving some large battles including the August 8^th advance from Amiens. Unfortunately William’s brother in law, Lieutenant Bertram Kell, signalling officer of the 28^th Battalion wasn’t so fortunate and was killed in action on the 8th August 1918.

At the end of the war the Australian divisions were sent to the previously German held territory in Belgium. In the cold weather many men became ill and unfortunately in early 1919 William was admitted to hospital with Bronchopneumonia. On the 15^th February 1919 William died at the 48^th Casualty Clearing Station. He was buried in Belgrade Cemetery Namur Belgium.

Further tragedy would happen for the family six months later when William’s wife Lilian died in August 1919 of Meningitis. She had been treated at Blackboy Hill Camp hospital, the same camp where her husband left for war. This left their three daughters, Emily, May & Elsie as orphans. They were cared for by their grandmother Mrs. Emily Reay who in the space of 12 months had lost her son, son-in-law and daughter.