Just Another Pair Of Socks

Melton District ANZACS

William Charles Edward STONE

Personal

Born: November, 1890

Birthplace: Beckenham, Kent, England

Parents: C. J. Stone, 12 Durham Rd, Beckenham

Awards and Honours

  • 1914-1915 Star
  • British War Medal 1914-20
  • Victory Medal

Battalions

2nd Field Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column - first deployment.3rd Divisional Supply Column, MT, (Mechanical Transport) 26 ASC (Army Service Corps) - second deployment

Events

Enlistment

Regimental Service Number: 1510 - cancelled when he returned to Australia with enteric fever. 11974 issued when he returned to duty.

Enlistment date: 20 August, 1914 St. Kilda Ordnance Rooms, Melbourne, Victoria

Age at enlistment: 23 years 9 months

Address at enlistment: Melton, Victoria

Religion: Roman Catholic

Marital Status: Single

Next of kin: C. J. Stone, Durham Rd. Beckenham, Kent, UK

Physical Description: Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Weight: 107 pounds
Complexion: Fair
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Very light

Embarkation ship: HMAT A21 Marere; HMAT Afric A19 2nd deployment.

Rank: Sergeant

Return Date: 25 September, 1919

Return Vessel: Port Denison.

Arrival at Australia: 13 November, 1919.At: Melbourne

Discharge Date: 26 January, 1920

War Service Summary

Embarked to Egypt for training for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
19/07/1915- Contracted enteric fever
16/10/1915 - Returned to Australia on the Kanowna. Sections of his brigade served at Gallipoli, however it is not clear if Stone saw action there.

1915 - Melton, on leave when sent back from Egypt suffering from Enteric Fever.

14/03/1916 - Returned to Service when recovered
05/06/1916 - Embarked HMAT A19 Afric
02/07/1916 - Arrived in England; penalised 2 days pay for being Absent Without Leave in early August.
07/11/1916 - Promoted to Corporal and sent to France.
28/12/1916 - Promoted to Corporal
03/03/1917 until 22/02/1919 - in the field France where he was transferred many times to different ammunition parks (or ammunition dumps) as required.
11/01/1919 - Promoted to sergeant.
1919 - Requested to change his next of kin to his wife
14/03/1919 to 14/09/1919 - Granted paid leave for 6 months to become involved in some electrical engineering activities with the Beckenham Motor Co. Ltd., 103 High Street, Beckenham, Kent.
March 1918 - Two weeks leave in England. This appears to be when he married.

War Service Commemerated

Life After the War

Names of wife & children:
William was single when he enlisted.
1919 - he requested to change his next of kin to his wife R. B. M. K. Stone of Beckenham, Kent. The marriage to Rosina Jones was registered in the March Quarter, 1918 at Bromley Kent. Stone was on 2 weeks leave in England in March 1918, this is probably when he married.

Residences:
Electoral Rolls:
1914 living at Glenronald, Domain Road, South Yarra
1919 - Bathwick, Domain Road, South Yarra.

Occupations:
Chauffeur

There does not appear to be an entry on the electoral rolls for William Charles Edward Stone after 1919. He is mentioned in the Melton Express in 1920.
Did he return to England?

Additional Information

William Stone sailed on HMAT A21 Marere. The main body of the 2nd Brigade Ammunition Column embarked on the Southern, others on the Shropshire and Marere. The ships then went on to King Georges Sound in Albany W.A., being the gathering point for the first contingent of the Australian Imperial Forces and New Zealand Expeditionary Forces before leaving Australia.

Melton Express
Saturday 27 May 1916 , P 2

A large assemblage took place on Saturday night last, when our volunteers were on a visit home, although the notice was very short. Watches were presented to Privates Harold Black, Edward Carew, Ernest Minns, Percy Stubbs, William Stone (who has been to the Front, and returned ill) Henry Sawyer, George Ware, Private John Farrell (who already had a wristlet watch) was presented with an auto-strop razor and a pipe. Musical items were rendered by Mrs. J. H. Allen, Misses D. Farrell, and A. Riddell, Messrs. H. Cunningham, G. Jongebloed and Murison. Miss Ross (a visitor front Melbourne) supplied the dance music. The Committee intend presenting a wristlet watch (or its equivalent) to every volunteer from the Shire, including those who have gone away. The latter will be handed over to the relatives.

Melton Express
13 March 1920
(Summary of article) Grand Final Welcome Home to Local Returned Soldiers. Best Held during the Season. Sergeant Stone being the only soldier to welcome for the first time.

Sources

Australian War Memorial
Service Record
Nominal Roll
Embarkation Roll
Newspapers