McGilvray, William
3521 Sergeant William McGilvray MM - 16th Battalion AIF
William McGilvray was born in Geraldton on the 5th March 1894 to Daniel and Rebecca McGilvray. He had several siblings, Ann (1882), Alexander (1883), Louisa (1885), Daniel (1887), Catherine (1889), Rebecca (1891), Jean (1893), Robert (1897), John (1900) and Jessie (1903).
He was educated in Geraldton, and moved to Fremantle prior to the Great War. He was then living at 5 Ellen Street Fremantle and working locally as a labourer. He also played league games for South Fremantle in the WAFL during 1915.
On the 29th July 1915 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner passed him as fit for service and recorded his physical details as;
Height - 5 feet 9 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 167lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37-39 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Black.
After his successful enlistment William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was initially assigned to a Depot Training Camp where he was taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 27th September 1915 William was transferred to the 11th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few weeks while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive.
On the 1st November 1915 William and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the troopship HMAT Benalla. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there three weeks later.
William and his group would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but due to plans being made to evacuate that battlefield, they were instead retained in Egypt in the reinforcement camp.
In January 1916 William was hospitalised with appendicitis and spent a month in hospital. He was then taken on strength of the 16th Battalion on the 6th March 1916.
The 16th Battalion would spent the next three months training in the Egyptian desert.
On the 1st June 1916 the 16th Battalion entrained for Alexandria where they boarded the troopship H.M.T. “Canada” and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 9th June 1916. After their arrival, the men of the 16th were disembarked, marched through Marseilles and put on to trains which would take them to the north of France. Disappointingly for the men, the journey bypassed Paris as they made their way north. However a few days after their arrival at Marseilles, the 16th Battalion arrived in French Flanders.
By the end of June 1916 the 16th Battalion had their first taste of life on the Western Front near Fleurbaix. They remained here until mid July 1916 when they were relieved by the 5th Division. The 16th Battalion as part of the 4th Division were then sent to the Somme battlefield. The 1st Australian Division had captured Pozieres village on July 23rd and were relieved in turn by the 2nd Division, who managed to further the gains already made. In early August 1916 the 4th Division went into the line to relieve the 2nd Division. On the 6th August 1916, the 16th Battalion were in action during a German counterattack on the Australians.
On the 11th August 1916 William was blown up by a shell, though miraculously was not wounded but suffered from shell shock. He spent four days at a Field Ambulance station and then returned to the 16th Battalion on the 15th August 1916.
On the 30th August 1916 the 16th Battalion were involved in an attack on Mouquet Farm. Though they got into the German positions, the units on the flank did no succeed and so they had to withdraw. During the action William was in the midst of the battle and was recommended for distinction. He would be awarded the Military Medal. The official recommendation reads;
This man was the personal runner attached to the Officer Commanding C Company. When this officer was seriously wounded he brought him in from the position assaulted and having got him into a place of safety, returned to his Company with which he remained until they were drawn back to our lines. Thereafter he acted as a runner and showed great bravery in carrying messages over ground knee deep in mud and under heavy fire.
The official notification of his Military Medal award came through in October 1916.
After a brief stint in Belgium in September and October 1916, the 16th Battalion then returned to the Somme battlefield which is where they would spend the 1916/17 French winter.
On the 4th December 1916 William reported sick and was sent to the 5th Field Ambulance where it was diagnosed that William was suffering from a middle ear disease called Otitis Media. He was then transferred to the 36th Casualty Clearing Station. After further treatment he was then pyt on an ambulance train for Etaples where he was then admitted to the 26th General hospital. He spent the next few weeks there but was then transferred to a Convalescent Camp on the 18th December. It appeared that rest would help cure the issue.
William remained in the convalescent camp till the 4th March 1917 when he was well enough to be sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples. He then rejoined the 16th battalion on the 18th March 1917.
During William's absence the Germans had begun a withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. Their withdrawal was pressed all the way and several sharp actions were fought by Australian and British units.
Once the Germans were in their Hindenburg Line positions, plans were made to attack them. The Australians including the 16th Battalion were scheduled to attack Bullecourt on the 10th April 1917 but the tanks which were supposed to support the advance had not arrived so the attack was postponed till the 11th April 1917.
Without the aid of artillery the Australians attacked the German lines on April 11th and despite the devastating German fire the 16th Battalion managed to get into the German trenches but without any supporting artillery and their flanks open, the Germans were also cutting off supplies getting through, so the men were soon surrounded. many were surrounded and either killed or taken prisoner of war while others successfully withdrew to their own lines. Those withdrawing were under heavy German fire all the way back to their own trenches.
William was one of the fortunate few in the 16th Battalion who came through this action unscathed.
On the 28th April 1917 William reported in as sick but returned to his unit on the 3rd May 1917. The 16th battalion were now sent to Belgium where they would take part in the action at the Messines offensive. William survived the initial days of the battle but on the 15th June 1917 was evacuated ill. At the New Zealand Field Ambulance he was diagnosed with frontal sinusitis and was then sent to Wimereux where he spent four days in Hospital. On the 19th June William was sent to England for further treatment.
William was admitted to Shorecliffe Military Hospital and remained there till the 19th July 1917 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. His fitness level was now downgraded and William would spend the next few months in the AIF camps in England.
On the 29th November 1917 William left England and returned to France. After a few days at the Base Depot Camp he rejoined the 16th battalion on the 3rd December 1917. The 16th Battalion spent December 1917 near Peronne on the Somme but then returned to Belgium in January 1918.
They would spent the next few months in the line South East of Ypres. In February William was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched a large offensive which broke through the British front further south. As a result the Australians were moved from the Belgian front and headed for the Somme to help stop this German advance.
The 16th Battalion moved to Hebuterne, where along with New Zealand and British forces they managed to stop the German advance. During his time at Hebuterne William was promoted to Corporal. The 16th Battalion were then moved to the Villers-Bretonneux front.
On the 4th July 1918 the 16th Battalion took part in the capture of Hamel village and after this action William was promoted to Sergeant. On August 8th 1918 William also took part in the advance from the Amiens front. He came through these and subsequent actions safely. From the 21st to 28th August he was given a weeks leave but then returned to the 16th Battalion and they would see their last action on September 18th at Le Verguier. After this action the 16th Battalion was withdrawn from the line for a well deserved rest period.
On the 4th October 1918 William was detached for duty to the Australian Corps infantry School and was still on duty there when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
On the 13th November 1918 William rejoined the 16th Battalion as they went into what had been German occupied parts of France.
William was given leave to the UK from the 9th to 23rd December 1918. He then returned to the 16th Battalion and spent another month with them before receiving orders for a return to Australia. On the 10th February 1919 William left France and proceeded to England where he was sent to Weymouth to await being assigned a ship home.
On the 7th April 1919 William boarded the transport ship Trasos Montes and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 14th May 1919.
William was discharged from the AIF on the 6th July 1919. During 1919 he also managed to play 13 games for South Fremantle in the WAFL.
William then left Fremantle for Victoria.
In 1920 in Victoria married Margaret 'Maggie' Hannah Burns. In 1920-21 William played for Fitzroy Football Club, according to VFL records, playing 26 games and kicking 13 goals. In 1922 he returned to WA and was Captain of South Fremantle Football Club. In 1922/23 he was Captain Coach.
During the early 1920's the family was living at 38 Barnett Street Fremantle (later renumbered to 18 Barnett). They lived there till 1930, with their son William being born in 1929.
In 1930 the family then moved to 56 Queen Street, (later renumbered to 40 Queen St). William lived there for the next thirty years.
He then retired south and lived in Rockingham
William died on the 5th May 1984 at Rockingham aged 89. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.