No.5484, Private, William John SARGENT
Aged 22
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William John PAGE was born in Dullingham in 1896 (Newmarket Q2-1896 3B-514), son of Susan PAGE. His mother married Thomas SARGEANT (Newmarket Q4-1896). 1901 census...Aged 4, William SARGENT was at the Sheep Yard, Cambridge Hill, Westley Waterless with his father Thomas SARGENT [29] a horse keeper on farm, born Hundon; and his mother Susan,[28] born in Dullingham. 1911 census...Aged 14, William SARGENT, a house-boy domestic, he was still at Sheep Yard with his parents and now a brother, (Clement) Reggie [9] born in Westley Waterless. His mother and himself are now recorded as born in Dullingham Ley. |
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He enlisted in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia on 31st March 1916, giving his place of birth as Westley Waterless England, next of kin, father Thomas SARGENT,
of Hill Farm, Westley Waterless. 40 pages of his Army records (many duplicates) are available free from Australian Archives They disclose that he was 5 feet 10.25 inches (168.2 cm) tall, weighing 134 lbs (60.8 kg) and chest 33"to 36" (83.8 to 91.4 cm), blue eyed and Church of England. Assigned to the 6th Battalion, he embarked from Australia on 4th April 1916, reaching Alexandria, Egypt and embarking from there on 31st May and reaching Plymouth on 10th June 1916. He joined his unit in the field in France on 19th June 1916. The 6th AIF took part in action at Pozières in the Battle of the Somme, then moved to the Ypres salient before returning in the winter of 1916 to France. On 20th December 1916 he reported sick with trench feet and was sent via Rouen and then HMHS 'St.George' to England on 23rd December and admitted to Camberwell General Hospital on 24th December. Discharged from hospital on 2nd March 1917 he then moved around various units in UK (many un-readable). Perham Downs seems to be the main camp, part of Tidworth. His convalescence was probably at the large military hospital at Tidworth. Since the area is chalkland many of the ANZAC troops, being bored at the end of WW1 and before repatriation, carved their regimental badges on the hillside just outside Bulford, some 5 miles from Tidworth. He suffered a recurrence of his complaint on 30th July 1917, but had recovered by the 12th August and proceeded via Southampton to Le Havre on 18th October 1917. On 3rd November he re-joined his unit, and was back in England again, on leave on 18th March 1918 and again on 4th April 1918. Wounded in action on 29th April he was admitted to No 15 Casualty Clearing Station where he died of multiple gun shot wounds and was buried at Ebblinghem, 4.75 miles west of Hazebrouk. In his will he left all his effects to his mother. Co-incidentally his records contain reference to a search for relatives of Frank Webb of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion who was discharged in UK on 24th January 1920 and had given his next of kin as William Webb of Westley Waterless. It was officially determined that correspondence to Thomas Sargent may well reach the intended Webb family. The 6th battalion AIF were fighting in front of Hazebrouk (near the Belgian-French border) where they were instrumental in halting the German advance, the furthest west in the north that the Germans reached in their Spring offensive. His medal entitlement has not yet been found, but it has to be "Mutt & Jeff", ie The War Medal and Victory Medal since he only arrived in Europe in 1916. |
photo:Rodney Gibson
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