WILLIAMS Rupert Pierce Monal

Rupert Pierce Morral Williams was born in Gladstone on 2nd April 1893 to parents John Rupert and Martha Fanny (nee Thomas). He was an Engine Driver living at Cooran and had married Agnes Burchill on 27th October 1915; they had one child by the time he enlisted on 9th May 1917 at Brisbane. Rupert was assigned to 4th Pioneer Battalion as Private and he departed from Sydney aboard H.M.A.T A7 ‘Medic’ on 1st August 1917 and sailed via Halifax, Nova Scotia where he was transferred onto S.S ‘Orissa’ for the journey to Liverpool. Once he disembarked he marched into Pioneer Training Brigade at Fovant to undertake specialist training. Rupert’s war service was uneventful as he remained on English soil during his war service and throughout 1917-1918 was in the Pioneer training camp as well as Sutton Veny Camp both on Salisbury Plains. Following a stint in Sutton Veny hospital with Influenza in June 1918 he was attached to Australian Mechanical Transport Service (AMTS) at Tidworth on 14th October until orders to return to Australia in March 1919. Rupert’s name appeared on List 226 and he sailed aboard H.M.A.T A14 ‘Euripides’ on 3rd March 1919 taking in the port of Melbourne before final disembarkation of Queensland soldiers in Brisbane on1st May 1919 where Rupert was discharged on 24th May 1919. Following his return to civilian life he resumed his occupation as engine driver and later as sawmiller. The family lived in Cook Street Eumundi where Rupert died at the age of 69 years on 17th September 1962.

Cootharaba Honour Roll, Pomona Hall, Reserve Street, Pomona

Shire of Noosa Roll of Honor, Shire Council Chambers, Pelican Street, Tewantin

National Archives Ancestry.com.au Australian War Memorial - unit diaries