Spratley, William Nelson

No.5473 – Sergeant William Spratley MM – 16^th Battalion AIF

William Nelson Spratley was born in Portsmouth England in 1894 to William and Annie Spratley. The family soon moved to Canada and William was educated at Nelson in British Columbia. After leaving school the William moved with his parents to New Zealand where he began an apprenticeship as a blacksmith. William worked as a blacksmith in New Zealand until he was twenty years old when the family again moved, this time to Western Australia.

On arrival in WA in 1914 the Spratley’s took up residence in Lily Street South Fremantle and William continued to work as a Blacksmith. He also joined the 86^th Infantry of the Citizens Military Forces and at the beginning of the Great War William formed part of the Rottnest Island Guard of the German Prisoners of War. During the first months of the war William would have seen his Uncle John and then his father; (Private Reg. no.1838); enlist in the AIF. Both would serve in the 11^th Battalion but John would die in Egypt while William returned home in early 1916.

On the 31^st December 1915 William went to the Francis Street Drill Hall in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 6 & ½ inches tall; weight of 139lbs; chest measurement of 35-38 inches; fair complexion; grey eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Upon his successful enlistment William was sent to No.41 Training Depot at Blackboy Hill Camp. He had ten days there and was then transferred to the NCO School where he remained until the 4^th April 1916.

The same day William was given the rank of Corporal and transferred to No.22 Training Depot and then on again to the 18^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion. He spent several days with this group but on the 17^th April William was transferred to the 17^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion. As this was the same day that this group was leaving WA, it was a last minute transfer. They boarded the HMAT Aeneas in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.

After arriving in Egypt just over three weeks later in early May 1916, the men of William’s group were disembarked and sent into the 4^th Training Battalion. As the 16^th Battalion were already at full complement of numbers, William remained in the training battalion for the remainder of his time in Egypt. On the 7^th June 1916 he left Alexandria with them aboard the HMT Ionian and sailed for France, reaching Marseilles on the 14^th June 1916.

After his arrival William was sent north to Etaples where he was taken on duty at the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot. He would spend the next few months there though he would also have some stints in hospital. From the 12^th to 22^nd July 1916 he was in hospital for scabies and again from the 6^th to 23^rd October 1916 as a result of scabies and influenza.

William spent the remainder of 1916 between No.1 Training Camp and the 4^th ADBD. At the end of the year William had another stint in hospital with influenza and on returning to the 4^th ADBD on the 6^th January 1917 he was sent to the segregation camp. While in this camp he got into trouble for being out of bounds without a pass, lying to a military policeman and being in possession of spirits. As a punishment he was given 14 days of Field Punishment No.2 and had to forfeit 59 days pay.

On the 25^th January William returned to the 4^th ADBD, but three days later he reported sick and was sent to the 18^th General Hospital at Camiers where he was diagnosed with mumps. He remained in hospital until the 19^th February 1917. William then returned to the 4^th ADBD but he was coming to the end of his time here as on the 19^th March 1917 he was finally taken on strength of the 16^th Battalion AIF. The 16^th Battalion were then out of the front line but they were soon to return when they were ordered to assault the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt.

The Hindenburg Line was a great German defensive position ringed with barbed wire and defended by machine guns and artillery. On the 11^th April 1917 the 16^th Battalion assaulted this line and along with other units in the Division they manage to gain a foothold in the line despite the very heavy German fire and the fact that they were unsupported by their own artillery. As No Man’s Land was being swept by German fire very few supplies or reinforcements could get through and as a result the survivors either had to surrender or make it back to their original line.

William was one of the fortunate survivors and he was awarded the Military Medal for his actions that day. The recommendation reads;

‘Is brought to notice for his bravery and devotion to duty on the morning of 11^th April 1917 in bringing in out of ‘No Man’s Land’ his Company Sergeant Major under very heavy shell and machine gun fire. This man also displayed coolness and gallantry and utter contempt for danger both during the assault and afterwards in the heavy bomb fighting which took place after a footing had been established in the Hindenburg Line.”

After the Bullecourt action the 4^th Division were withdrawn from the line for a short time and were then sent to Belgium where they joined the 3^rd Division AIF. On the 20^th May William was promoted to Sergeant and served at this rank during the Messines offensive in June 1917. He came through this action unscathed and the subsequent few months the battalion spent in this sector.

In September the 4^th Division arrived at Ypres and they would soon be in action at places such as Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Passchendaele. William survived the actions during the Third Battle Ypres and on the 8^th November 1917 was granted two weeks leave in England. After his return at the end of November the 16^th Battalion was withdrawn for a rest though this was cut short when the 4^th Division was sent to Peronne where they were put into reserve due to the German counter attack at Cambrai.

In the end the 4^th Division were not needed at Cambrai but they remained at Peronne into January 1918. On New Year’s Day William reported sick and was sent for a few days to the 64^th West Lancashire Field Ambulance. On the 6^th January he rejoined the Battalion and they were soon sent back to the Messines sector. On the 25^th February 1918 William was detached for duty with the 2^nd Army Musketry School. While on this detachment on the 6^th March he again reported sick and was sent to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital. After nine days in hospital he reported back to the Musketry School on the 15^th March.

He was on duty here for a further month and returned to the 16^th Battalion on the 15^th April 1918. During his absence from the battalion, the Germans had launched their massive Spring Offensive which broke through the Third and Fifth British Armies and they were soon speedily heading towards Amiens. The 16^th Battalion, as part of the 4^th Brigade, joined up with the New Zealanders at Hebuterne and managed to bring the German offensive to a halt. They then began pushing the German line back in places.

After William’s return the Battalion moved to the Corbie sector near Villers-Bretonneux in May and they remained in this area for the next few months. On the 25^th June 1918 while going to the ration dump near Daours for supplies a German shell landed alongside of William and shattered his right thigh, severing his leg above the knee. He was sent to the 4^th Field Ambulance where he died of his wounds the same day.

Sergeant William Spratley MM was buried at St Pierre Cemetery Amiens in plot XIII.E.1.

His effects and medals were sent to his parents, who by this stage had moved back to Auckland New Zealand.