GEORGE, William

GEORGE, William – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWI
SERVICE NO : 639
RANK : Corporal
UNIT : 25th Battalion
ENLISTMENT DATE : 11/02/1915
AGE : 25
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Goondiwindi, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Cardigan, Wales
RELIGION : Church of England
OCCUPATION : Selector
DATE OF DEATH : Unknown
PLACE OF BURIAL : Unknown

MEMORIALS : Yelarbon War Memorial, Yelarbon Roll of Honour, Goondiwindi War Memorial

View Veteran’s Service File : GEORGE, William

NOTES : Originally from Cardigan in Wales, William George came to Australia and made his living as a selector in the Yelarbon district. With the event of the First World War, he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force in February 1915.

William fought on the Gallipoli Peninsular before embarking for Marseilles in France. Appointed a Lance Corporal with the 25th Battalion on 20 June 1916, it was not long before he was promoted to Corporal in August of the same year.

The first occasion he was wounded with a gunshot wound to the right thigh was in November 1916. He was transferred from the 2nd Southern General Hospital to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital for treatment in England. During this time, he was transferred to the 69th Battalion. Departing Folkestone in May 1917, he proceeded overseas to France and re-joined the 25th Battalion. He was wounded in action for a second time in Belgium when he suffered from the effects of gas poisoning after a gas shell blew up close to him.

Standing five foot, ten and a half inches, William was a keen football player and he was selected to be a member of the 25th Battalion football team. He was known to have played football on November 1917 while stationed at the town of Neuve Eglise in France, close to the German border.

Wounded in action on the third occasion, he was invalided to the United Kingdom once again suffering from the effects of gas poisoning. While there in July 1919, he was granted an extension of leave without pay from 25 June 1919 to 8 October 1919 to carry out business in Pembrokeshire, South Wales.

William returned to Australia in 1919 onboard the Nestor and was discharged in 1920.

Copyright 2026 Deborah C Wheeler and Duncan McLean, Southern Downs Military History

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