Cross, William Joseph

No.3802 – Private William Joseph Cross – 2nd Anzac Cyclist Battalion

William was a year younger than his brother, having been born in Melbourne in 1890. After arriving in Fremantle, William was also educated at White Gum Valley School. His mother soon moved to Jackson Street North Fremantle and after leaving school William found work as a labourer and then went to the Goldfields to work as a miner. Prior to enlisting in the war William was based at Gwalia.

William enlisted on the 25^th October 1915 and the medical officer recorded his physical attributes as; 5 feet 8 & ¾ in height; weight of 124lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic. William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he soon joined his brother in the 9^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion AIF. This group departed from Fremantle on the 12^th February 1916 aboard the HMAT Miltiades.

Upon their arrival in Egypt this reinforcement group was largely sent to reinforce other units. While James was sent to the 51^st Battalion, William helped form part of the 5^th Division Cyclist Company. He trained with this group in Egypt until 17^th June 1916, when they boarded a transport ship which took them to France. After disembarking in Marseilles on the 27^th June 1916 the men were sent north to the Fleurbaix sector of Armentieres. Unfortunately William arrived in this sector just after James had been killed on the 28^th June.

William would have seen service during the Fromelles action on the 19^th/20^th July 1916. The 5^th Division remained in the Fleurbaix sector for the next few months. On the 8^th September it appears that William was injured in the buttocks during a cycling accident. After treatment at the 102^nd Field Ambulance he returned to his unit.

The unit now changed its name and William came under the 2^nd Anzac Cyclist Battalion which was a joint unit with the New Zealanders. The 5^th Division left for the Somme in October 1916 but the 2^nd Anzac Cyclists remained in the region and in November William was seconded for duty with the Town Major in Armentieres. This secondment lasted several months up to May 1917. After this he returned to the 2^nd Anzac Cyclist Battalion. In July/August 1917 William was granted two weeks leave, after which he rejoined his unit. William saw continual service up to the 12^th December 1917 when he was sent to hospital suffering from bronchitis and catarrh. He was hospitalised in France for a few weeks but on the 2^nd January 1918 he was shipped to England where he was admitted to the 1^st Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. William’s condition did not improve and it was decided to send him back to Australia on the HMT Borda, disembarking in Fremantle on the 22^nd May 1918. William was discharged from the AIF on the 19^th July 1918 as medically unfit.

William Cross married Irene Luff in Fremantle in 1918. He died on the 25^th August 1955.