Beesley, William Welland

7030 Private William Welland Beesley - 16th Battalion AIF

William Willard Beesley was born in Blackburn Lancashire England on the 23rd February 1876 to William and Jane Beesley and was one of eight children, his siblings being, John (1878), Margaret (1880), Albert (1882), Emma (1884), Arthur (1886), Percy (1887) and Walter (1889).

William was educated in Blackburn and after leaving school took up employment as a Joiner.

In 1902 in Sowerby Bridge Yorkshire he married Sarah Jane Smith and they would have two children born in England, Walter in 1901 and William in 1904.

The Beesley family came to Western Australia in 1905 and took up residence in the Fremantle area before moving to Jandakot. William was working in the Jandakot area as a carpenter. More children were born in Jandakot, with Phyllis (1907), Ivy (1908), Emma (1910), Edna (1912), Ruby (1915) and Bertha (1916).

Sadly, both of Williams parents would pass away in 1916, Jane in January and William in October.

On the 16th March 1917, the 41 year old William enlisted into the AIF at the Fremantle Recruitment centre. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 2 inches tall;

Weight - 120lbs;

Chest Measurement - 38 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to D3 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot and on the 21st June 1917 he was assigned to the 20th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. However a day later he was transferred into the 21st Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion.

He trained with this group in WA for another month before they received their embarkation orders. William's group was one of the very few during the war that were entrained for Albany and departed from there. They boarded the transport ship HMAT Port Melbourne and set sail for England, reaching Liverpool on the 16th September 1917.

After being disembarked, William and his group were sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He undertook more training here and on the 8th November 1917 was transferred into the 6th Training Battalion.

William had another few months in England but on the 23rd January 1918 was put in a draft of soldiers bound for France. William was now re-assigned and would be joining the 16th Battalion AIF.

He was taken on strength of the 16th Battalion on the 29th January 1918. William would serve with the 16th Battalion for the majority of 1918. In February and March 1918, the 16th Battalion were holding the line in Belgium near Ypres.

When the Germans broke through the British front lines further south, the Australian division were sent from Belgium to the Somme to help stop the German advance. The 16th Battalion were sent to Hebuterne and with the assistance of New Zealand and British troops, they stopped the Germans in that area and then began to go on the offensive, conducting raids and forays to put the Germans on the back foot.

After a few weeks at Hebuterne the 16th Battalion was sent to the Villers-Bretonneux sector. On July 4th 1918, the 16th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel, William being in the thick of the action.

Thankfully William survived the successful Hamel action, but the last six months of being in the line had taken it's toll and on the 17th July William was sent to the 4th Army Rest Camp. Many of these rest camps were in the vicinity of the French coast.

After a fortnight, William rejoined the 16th Battalion on the 5th August 1918. He rejoined them in time to take part in the successful advance on August 8th 1918 on the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 16th Battalion advanced on the southern side of the Somme River. During the advance they were getting heavy fire from the flank as the northern side of the Somme had not been cleared of the Germans, yet the 16th Battalion managed to take their objectives.

From August 8th to September 18th 1918, the 16th Battalion were constantly on the advance. September 18th marked their successful action at Le Verguier which happened to be their last in the war, as after the capture of the village, the 16th battalion were pulled out for the line for a rest period which lasted up till the Armistice.

On the 8th November 1918 William was detached for duty with 4th Division Headquarters. It was reported that he returned to the 16th Battalion on the 19th November 1918 but also appears he was attached for duty with 4th Division HQ in January 1919.

On the 20th January 1919 William was granted a two week furlough to the UK, returning to the 16th Battalion on the 4th February 1919. The 16th Battalion were then based in what had been German occupied parts of France and Belgium.

On the 9th May 1919 the 16th Battalion had been disbanded and William was temporarily taken on strength of the 4th Division HQ. From the 9th May to the 31st May 1919, William was helping the War Records section of the AIF with their work.

On the 31st May 1919, William returned to England and was granted leave until the 16th June 1919. After finishing his leave, William reported into the AIF camp at Hurdcott. He would now wait here until he was assigned a berth on a troopship home to Australia.

On the 18th July 1919 William boarded the transport ship Takada and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 29th August 1919.

After reaching Fremantle, William was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace for a medical checkup. He was found to have no physical ill effects from his service. William was discharged from the AIF on the 28th September 1919.

During his service in 1918 it is unknown if he managed to see his brother Walter who was serving with the 44th Battalion. Sadly Walter died of wounds in France in September 1918. 

Another brother, Arthur Beesley, survived the war after service with the 27th Battalion but died in 1928.

After his return from the Great War, a daughter Olive was born in 1921.

The family moved for a time to Hope Street East Fremantle in the 1920's before moving to 10 Gold Street in South Fremantle. In the 1940's they moved to 34 Walter Street South Fremantle.

During these years William was still working as a Carpenter.

William died on the 29th August 1953 aged 77 and is buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A6 0454.