William Badenoch
WILLIAM HENRY BADENOCH
RANK: Private
SERVICE NO: 860
UNITS SERVED: 43rd Infantry Battalion
PERSONAL DETAILS: William Henry Badenoch was the son of Ebenezer and Rose Elizabeth Badenoch, born in Pt Mc Donell. William was an older brother to Marjory, Archibald, Vernon, and Hilda.
ENLISTMENT DETAILS: Enlisting on the 8th of February 1916, at age 18 in Mount Gambier, William was sent to the Morphettville Training camp. He was placed in the 43rd Infantry Battalion.
DETAILS ABOUT ROLE IN WAR: William embarked the ‘HMS Afric’ on the 9th of June, after landing briefly in Egypt, went on to Britain for further training.
On the 25th of November the 43rd Battalion proceeded overseas to France and arrived on the western front in late December. The 43rd Battalion spent much of 1917 in trench warfare in Flanders. The battalion took part in the battle of Messines which started on June 7th.
On the 11th of June 1917 William was wounded in action with multiple gunshot wounds. He had shrapnel in his nose, elbow, and his back. On the 22nd of June he was admitted to the Queens Canadian Military Hospital. 33 days later William was discharged and rejoined the 43rd Battalion.
1918 was spent fighting in the Somme valley. In April the Battalion helped stop the German Spring offensive at Villers-Bretonneux, and in July they were part of General Monash’s attack at Hamel. In August and September the battalion helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line.
William was killed in action on the 1st of September 1918, and was buried in the Peronne Communal Cemetery.
AGE AT DEATH: 20
MEMORIAL DETAILS: Peronne Communal Cemetery in France, III. L. 4.
Image from the Mount Gambier Pictorial Honour Roll, sourced through the Virtual War Memorial of Australia, vwma.org.au
