Barrett, William Arthur
6293 Lance Corporal William Arthur Barrett - 28th Battalion AIF
William Arthur Barrett was born on the 2nd May 1884 in Fremantle WA to Francis and Annie Barrett. He was one of six children with, Francis (1882), May (1886), Walter (1887), George (1889) and Amy (1891).
He was educated in Fremantle with the family living at South Street Fremantle
William's mother Annie died in Beaconsfield in 1893 and his father remarried and William soon had five more half siblings.
In 1894 William and his brother Francis got into trouble and were sent to the Boys reformatory school at Rottnest Island. William would spend five years there.
His father Francis died in 1910.
William then found work with the WA Brushware factory in East Fremantle.
He then lived at 127 Sewell street East Fremantle (now 61 Sewell) before moving to 28 Silas Street (now 14).
William married on the 11th June 1913 to Florence Ashman and they continued to reside in Silas Street East Fremantle.
Through to 1916 William continued to work as a Packer and Despatch Clerk at the Brushware factory.
On the 14th August 1916 in Fremantle William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 3 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 134lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 18th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months.
On the 29th December 1916 William and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Persic. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Devonport Harbour on the 3rd March 1917. William and his group were then disembarked and were sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains.
William would train here for the next several weeks. On the 24th April he was sent to Fargo Military Hospital suffering from influenza though fortunately he recovered quickly and was sent to France on the 2nd May 1917. He then spent a few weeks at the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples.
William was taken on strength of the 2nd Australian Division on the 12th June 1917. The 28th Battalion was then on a three month rest period out of the front line and much of the next few months were taken up with training and sporting activities.
In September 1917, the 28th Battalion moved to Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. William saw action at the Battle of Menin Road on the 20th September 1917 and came through unscathed. The battalion then saw further action at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Broodseinde Ridge. William came through September and October 1917 safely and had been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 28th Battalion helped hold the front line in Belgium between Ypres and Messines. In December 1917 William was sent on a weeks leave to Paris.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British front line further south. The Australian Divisions were then moved from Belgium down to the Somme and Amiens sector to help stop this German advance.
The 28th Battalion were in action around Ville-sur-Ancre and Morlancourt. On the 16th April 1918 the 28th Battalion were in the support lines, though they were subjected to heavy German artillery fire. Shrapnel struck William on his ankle and after medical treatment at the Field Ambulance he was evacuated to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville. After a week of treatment he was shipped to England and was then admitted to the Warren Road War Hospital at Guildford.
William received treatment at this hospital for the next two months. On the 29th June 1918 he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. He only remained there for two days and was then transferred to No.3 Command Depot Camp. He remained there for the next month and was then transferred to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott on the 29th July 1918.
During these last few weeks his medical fitness was being assessed and the ankle wound was serious enough that William would not be returning to the Western Front. On the 28th August 1918 William was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth to await being assigned a transport ship home. It turned out that William remained in England for the next few months and when the Armistice was signed in November 1918 he was still there. He also got to spend Christmas the New Year in England.
On the 4th January 1919 William boarded the transport ship Morvada and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 12th February 1919.
William was discharged from the AIF on the 27th March 1919.
He then returned home to East Fremantle. In his absence his wife Florence had been living with relations in Attfield Street Fremantle, but upon his return they moved back to Silas Street and in 1920 a daughter called Gwen was born.
William resumed work with the WA Brushware Company in East Fremantle as a storeman.
His wife Florence was also well known in the Fremantle area as she ran the Cabin Tea Rooms in High Street Fremantle throughout the 1920's.
In 1925 William, Florence and Gwen moved to Bedford Street East Fremantle. He continued his work as a storeman and clerk at the Brushware factory through to World War Two.
Despite being 55 years old in 1940, William was accepted for service with the Australian Army. He was assigned the service number W31609 and was initially assigned to the 5th Garrison Battalion. He served mainly at Karrakatta and in the Swanbourne and Melville areas.
William was discharged from service in 1943.
He then returned to work at the Brushware factory and the family continued to reside at 40 Bedford Street.
William died on the 25th November 1967 at Hollywood Hospital aged 83. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery. Florence died on the 4th June 1976 and was also cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.