Haydon, William George Kershaw
275 Gunner William George Kershaw Haydon - 36th Heavy Artillery Group
William George Kershaw Haydon was born in Islington London on the 22nd May 1880 to Landor and Mary Haydon, being one of five siblings in the family.
He was educated in Islington London and after leaving school he joined the British Army. William served in the Royal Garrison Artillery in England for fifteen years and then left as time expired.
He came to Australia in 1912 and set up residence in WA. He then joined the Permanent Australian Forces and was assigned to the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery. He was based at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks in Burt Street Fremantle and also worked at the forts on Arthur Head and Fort Forrest.
When the Great War began, the permanent Gunners were retained in Australia due to the threat of German Naval ships. However when that threat eased, the Gunners were able to enlist and were replaced in their role in Australia by reservists. There had been a call for experienced Heavy Artillery Gunners on the Western Front.
Many of the Permanent Gunners who were based at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks were able to enlist on the 1st June 1915. William was among them and was passed as fit by the medical examiner who recorded William's details as;
Height - 5 feet 11 inches tall;
Weight - 160lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37-40 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Fair;
Distinctive marks - Tattoo Marks both arms, and broken nose which inclines to right.
Upon his successful enlistment, the men of the permanent artillery from Fremantle were sent across to Melbourne to join their fellow artillerymen and after further training, they embarked on the H.M.A.T. “Orsova” on the 17th July 1915.
However prior to their departure, the men were marched through the streets of Melbourne, as seen below (Published in the Australasian July 1915)
From September 1915 to February 1916 the men of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group trained in England in preparation for their service in England. William had originally been allotted to the 55th Battery but in October 1915 he was transferred to the 54th Battery.
On the 27th February 1916 Hugh and the 36th HAG landed at Boulogne and made their way to the battlefield. On the 16th March 1916 they sustained their first casualties when the billets they were in at Mont St Eloy were bombarded by the Germans. A few were killed and many wounded, including some of his fellow Fremantle Gunners, however William came through unscathed.
William served with the 54th Siege Battery through 1916 participating in such actions as the Battle of the Somme.
In December 1916 William got into trouble for being drunk while on active service, though considering the freezing weather the men were putting up with it's no wonder the men many have imbibed more to keep warm.
In 1917 William served with the 54th Battery 36th Heavy Artillery Group during the Hindenburg Line outpost battles, Messines, The Third battle of Ypres and the Battle of Cambrai. Considering the amount of shellfire the Germans directed at the Heavy Artillery, William was lucky to come through without being wounded. The Gunners sustained heavy casualties particularly through the Ypres action.
The only break from service William had was a two week leave period to England from the 26th August till 9th September 1917.
After their service at Cambrai in November and December 1917, the 36th Heavy Artillery Group returned to Belgium and Northern France in early 1918.
As a result of the German breakthrough on the British Army Front on the 21st March 1918, the Australian Infantry divisions had been sent south to the Somme region where they helped stop the German advance. The 36th Heavy Artillery Group was therefore one of the few Australian units still in Belgium when the Germans broke through the British lines in Belgium. Several guns had to be hurriedly withdrawn as the Germans made a rapid advance.
The guns withdrew into northern France where they could begin firing on the Germans. From May through to July 1918, they were in position in Northern France providing fire support around Merris and Meteren.
They remained in Northern France and helped the infantry with fire support in their advance against the Germans.
On the 13th September 1918 William was granted a fortnight's leave to the UK, returning to France on the 29th September 1918. He then remained with his unit till the Armistice on the 11th November 1918.
While in France in February 1919 William got married to Margueritte Decavele. The marriage took place at Tourcoing, Nord-Pas-De-Calais.
He returned to England with his wife on the 6th May 1919. They would now have to wait to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 21st June 1919 William and Marguritte boarded the troopship Kongin Louise and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919.
He was discharged from the AIF on the 2nd October 1919. However upon his discharged William returned to the Permanent Forces.
William and Margueritte had two children, William born in Fremantle on the 6th December 1919 and Helene in 1921.
The family lived in Queen Victoria Street Fremantle while William was serving at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks. There are photos in the City's collection of the family here.
Sadly his wife Marguritte died in Fremantle in January 1935.
William remained a member of the Permanent Australian Forces through to World War Two. In 1939 he had moved to 45 Hardy Street Nedlands. He remained here through to the 1950's.
William George Kerhsaw Haydon died on the 27th September 1958 aged 78. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery and his ashes placed in the family grave at Plot Roman Catholic GA 0506.