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William Joseph Elliott - Information

William Joseph Elliott was born in Campbelltown c1890. When war commenced, he was working as a carpenter, and living on Wellington St in Newtown with his wife Lurline Veronica Elliott. When he was 27, William enlisted in Newtown on the 23rd of May 1917. During training, he was posted as a Private to the 10th Reinforcements, 56th Battalion. His unit then left Sydney Harbour on the 31st of October 1917 onboard the HMAT Euripides.

William arrived at Devonport at the end of December and was marched into the 14th Training Battalion in Hurdcott. In early April, his unit departed Dover for the Western Front. They arrived at Calais Camp, where William was taken on strength to the 56th Battalion. A few weeks later, he was taken to hospital when he accidentally strained his ankle, returning to duty in May 1918. However, on the 2nd of August, William went AWL. On the 2nd of September, a court of inquiry was held; as he was still unaccounted for, and the authorities were looking for him. On the 15th of September, William was apprehended and arrested. At his Court Martial, he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for desertion. Luckily for William, the war soon ended, and his sentence was suspended by Brigadier General Griffiths in London in April 1919. He was then sent back home to Australia on the 25th of September 1919.