Chalwell, William Francis

7703 Private William Francis Chalwell - 11th Battalion AIF

William Francis Chalwell was born at Tyabb Hastings Victoria on the 8th March 1896 to Samuel and Mary Chalwell. He was one of fifteen siblings born into the family. The family moved from Victoria to Western Australia in 1911 and took up residence at 211 Attfield Street South Fremantle. (later renumbered to 119)

William lived in South Fremantle and was a clerk prior to the Great War.

On the 23rd March 1917 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was passed as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording William's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 inches tall;

Weight - 134lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Dark.

After his successful enlistment, William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to the depot training camp. He spent three weeks there going through basic infantry training. On the 8th May 1917 he was assigned to the 26th Reinforcements to the 11th battalion. He trained in WA with this group for the next several weeks.

They then received their embarkation orders and on the 29th June 1917 William and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 25th August 1917.

William and his group were then disembarked and were sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He trained here for the next few months and in November 1917 was transferred to the 2nd Training Battalion. William then remained there till April 1918.

On the 14th April 1918 William was sent to France and was taken on strength of the 11th Battalion on the 5th May 1918. The 11^th Battalion were then involved in actions in northern France at places such as Strazeele, Merris and Meteren.

In August 1918 the 11th Battalion moved to the Somme front and they took part in the August 8th advance from Villers-Bretonneux. The 11th Battalion advanced to Lihons where on August 10th they had heavy casualties. William came through safely and was still with his unit when they fought their last battle of the war on September 18th 1918.

The 11th Battalion was then pulled out of the line for a rest period and the Armistice was announced before the 11th Battalion could return to the front.

After the Armistice the Australians went to parts of France and Belgium that had been occupied by the Germans. William remained with the 11th Battalion until the 3rd April 1919 when he was sent to England.

On the 1st June 1919 William boarded the transport ship Somali, and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 7th August 1919.

William then resided at 30 Bellevue Terrace Fremantle and resumed his pre war career of being a Grocer. In 1921 he moved to 14 Church Street (later Stevens Street).

William was married on the 1st January 1923 to Ellen May Cuff. They would have a few children, with a son John born in 1923 and daughter Faith in 1925, followed by Joan in 1928 and Kenneth in 1932.

In the early 1930's William operated a Grovers Store at 35 Norfolk Street.

In 1936 the family then moved to 1 Holland Street East Fremantle before moving in 1937 to 11 Crandon Street Fremantle. The family remained here through to 1949 when they moved to 80 Samson Street White Gum Valley. William had ceased being a Grover and was now a Car Dealer.

William died on the 23rd May 1958 in Beaconsfield WA aged 62. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery and his ashes were placed into the family grave at plot Salvation Army Mon J 0122.