Truran, Basil Claude

No.4016 Private Basil Claude Truran - 16th Battalion & 4th Division Signal Company AIF

Basil Claude Truran was born in Adelaide South Australia on the 9th July 1897 to Samuel and Harriet Truran. He had eleven siblings, including three brothers, Herbert (1891), William (1893) and Victor (1895) that he would later serve in the Army with. Herbert had been born in Victoria, but the younger three brothers had been born in South Australia.

While the boys were still young the family moved to Western Australia and took up residence in Fremantle. The family lived at 160 Forrest Street East Fremantle (now no.67) and the boys completed their schooling locally.

During this time Basil had also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.

On the 18th August 1915 Basil enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 3 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 131lbs

Chest Measurement - 31-33 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - fair.

Upon his successful enlistment Basil was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to No.25 Depot Company. On the 14th September 1915 he was sent into No.2 Depot Battalion. Basil was taken through the basics of infantry work.

On the 18th October 1915 Basil was assigned to the 12th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until their embarkation orders arrived. These orders finally came through and on the 17th December 1915 Basil and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Ajana and set sail for Egypt.

After arriving in Egypt in January 1916 Basil and his group were marched into the 4th Training Battalion. On the 9th March 1916 Basil was transferred to the 48th Battalion AIF however eleven days later he was transferred to the 16th Battalion. His brother William most likely pulling some strings to get Basil into his unit.

He trained with the 16th Battalion in Egypt for the next several weeks. On the 1st June 1916 the 16th Battalion departed Egypt for France and after arriving at Marseilles they were entrained north to Armentieres.

Basil and the 16th Battalion would have their first taste of Western Front trench life in this sector.

In July 1916 the 16th Battalion were sent to the Somme battlefield and they had their first major action at Pozieres in early August. Two days later Basil was evacuated with a fractured toe/foot and was transferred to hospital in  England. He remained in hospital in England until the 24th September 1916.

Basil was then sent to the 4th Training Battalion while he fully recovered his health. Basil did not return to France till February 1917. He joined the 16th Battalion in time for their action at Stormy Trench.

Basil served at Bullecourt in April 1917 and was one of the fortunate soldiers who came through unscathed. From June to August 1917 the 16th Battalion served in the Messines sector and Basil again came through unhurt.

In September and October 1917 the 16th Battalion served at the Third Battle of Ypres, Basil seeing action at Polygon Wood and Broodseinde. On the 18th October 1917 while in the front line Basil was exposed to some German gas. Due to the fact he was also coming down with influenza, the gas had a very adverse affect.

Basil was evacuated to the 3rd Canadian General hospital in Boulogne where he remained for a month. He had a further two weeks in a rest camp and rejoined the 16th Battalion on the 12th December 1917.

On the 12th January 1918 Basil was given a period of leave to England but overstayed his leave for a few days. As a punishment he had to undergo 7 days of field punishment No.2 and was fined 18 days pay.

On the 14th February 1918 Basil was detached to the 4th Division pigeon course which was how to use pigeons as a signalling and communication method. He then returned to the 16th Battalion and was then detached for a month to the 4th Brigade HQ to work as a Signaller. 

On the 19th March 1918 Basil was officially transferred to the 4th Australian Division Signalling Company. Basil spent the remainder of the war with this unit.

In early 1919 Basil was given a period of leave to England, though he was to spend more time in the UK as he had developed a septic hand and was sent to the King George Hospital to recover.

On the 1st May 1919 Basil boarded the transport ship China and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 1st June 1919.

After returning home Basil was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for his final medical check up. Basil was then discharged from the AIF on the 24th July 1919.

On his return from the war Basil was working as a French Polisher and continued to live in Forrest Street Fremantle.

Basil then took up work as a Salesman and this work took him between Western Australia and the east coast, mainly New South Wales.

Basil served again in World War Two. Fearing that he might be classed as to old to enlist, Basil changed his date of birth to 1903, shaving six years off his age. At the time he was living at 7 Swan Street Buckland Hill/Mosman Park.

He enlisted on the 13th December 1940 and was given the regimental Number WX9969. He served in the Middle East with the 9th Division Signal Company seeing action at El Alamein in 1942. The 9th Division returned to Australia in March 1943. Through the remainder of the war he served with the 9th Division signals in Queensland and New Guinea. He was discharged in September 1945.

After the war was over Basil returned to Sydney where he took up employment, initially in Penrith before moving to North Sydney. At the time he was working as a storeman. By 1959 he was living in Mosman NSW. Basil then appears to have returned home to WA in the 1960's where he retired to Mandurah.

Basil Truran died in Mandurah WA on the 27th September 1973.