Monaghan, William Morris
5048 Private William Morris Monaghan - 28th Battalion AIF
William Morris Monaghan was born in Collingwood Victoria on the 29th November 1876 to Denis and Catherine Monaghan. He was one of six siblings born into the family.
He lived his early life in Victoria but then moved to Western Australia, residing in Fremantle.
He served in the 6th Western Australian Mounted Rifles in the Boer War.
In 1907 in Fremantle, he married Margaret Murray. This was her second marriage. Margaret had married Robert Wood in Adelaide in 1895 and they had four children together, the last few being born in Fremantle.
In 1906 Margaret's husband Robert died in Fremantle and in 1907 she re-married to William Monaghan. They would have a son William (1907), Eileen (1910), John (1914) and Enid (1917). So William would have four children of his own and be a step father to four.
The Monaghan family were living at 308 Mandurah Road South Fremantle. During this time William had been working as a wharf lumper and storeman.
On the 16th February 1916 aged 40 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 &1/2 inches;
Weight - 138lbs;
Chest Measurement - 36-39 inches.
The complexion, hair and eyes fields were left blank.
After his successful enlistment William was sent to No.50 Training Depot at Blackboy Hill Training Camp. On the 4th April 1916 he was transferred into the 13th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion.
He trained with this group in WA for the next few months and on the 18th July 1916 boarded the transport ship Seang Bee in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England. After a long sea voyage the ship arrived in Plymouth England on the 9th September 1916.
After being disembarked, William and his group were sent into the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp. He trained here for the next six weeks and on the 16th November 1916 he was put in a draft of soldiers that left Folkestone Harbour and headed for France. After arriving at Etaples William was sent into the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot. While at the base depot William got into trouble for being in Etaples without a leave pass.
On the 4th December 1916 William was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion. At this stage the 28th Battalion were located on the Somme battlefield. It was reportedly the coldest French winter in decades and conditions were atrocious with muddy, slimy shell holes littering the landscape. In December it got to freezing point and the landscape froze over.
Many men fell ill during this period and William was no exception. On the 12th February 1917 he was evacuated ill while the Battalion was located at Martinpuich. He was suffering with bronchitis and rheumatism. After being taken to the 45th Casualty Clearing Station he was sent to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. He was then transferred to the 26th general Hospital at Etaples.
As his condition wasn't improving, on the 2nd March 1917 William was transferred by hospital ship to England. He was then admitted to Edmonton Military Hospital. He was a patient there for a week and was then transferred to No.3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
On the 23rd March 1917 William's health had improved, and so was granted a two week furlough. He then reported to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth on the 7th April 1917.
William's health was not good enough to return to France but he was taken on strength of the AIF HQ in England and was seconded for duty to No.2 Command Depot and the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. William was attached to the Australian Army Medical Corps Details in England.
On the 17th May 1917 William was then detached for duty with the Australian Provost Corps in England, mainly seeing duty at the AIF camp at Tidworth and No.3 Command Depot Camp at Parkhouse. This duty continued up till October 1917.
William was then given a full medical examination to see if he should be returned to Australia. It was recommended that William be returned to Australia, but in the meantime he was still seconded for duty with AIF HQ in London.
In November 1917 William was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth to await being assigned a berth on a transport ship home. On the 21st December 1917 William boarded a hospital ship to return home to Western Australia. The official reason being a medical discharge due to Bronchitis and Rheumatism.
After arriving back in Fremantle, William was sent to No.8 Australian general Hospital for a full medical examination. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 22nd April 1918.
After returning from the Great War, William resumed his work on the wharf and the family remained in South Fremantle. They lived in Mandurah Road (now South Terrace) till the late 1930's
They then moved to 16 Hammand Street East Fremantle/Palmyra before moving to 15 Tuckfield Street Fremantle.
William died on the 17th June 1949 in Fremantle. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Roman Catholic MonC4 0107