Wilfred Roy Womersley (Australian War Memorial, 2017)
Lance Corporal Wilfred Roy Womersley (479)
Wilfred Roy Womersley was born in the small town of Dunkeld in Victoria on 13 December 1887. In his early life, he worked as a grazier where he fattened cattle or sheep for the market. Wilfred lived with his married sister Mrs E.I Benson, until he was 27 years old. It was at that time that he decided to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) to join the fighting in Europe (National Archives, 2017). Wilfred enlisted on the 16 September 1915 in Brisbane; he was assigned the service number 479 and attached to the 31st Infantry Battalion. Due to Wilfred’s mature leadership qualities he was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal. He was posted to France and left Australian shores on the HMAT Wandilla A62 soon after enlistment (Australian War Memorial, 2017).
Whilst serving in France, Wilfred received a gunshot to his right leg; he was admitted to the No. 2 Canadian Station Hospital on 21st July 1915. Fortunately Wilfred’s wound was considered ‘mild’ and he was discharged within a short space of time. However, the wound continued to give him further problems and he was evacuated from the town of Boulogne on board the ship ‘Jan Ereydel’ headed for England on 22nd July 1916. Once in England, he was admitted at 1st Southern G.H. Edgbaston, Birmingham Hospital to recover. A letter was sent to his sister on 7th August 1916 stating he had been admitted to Birmingham Hospital (RSL Virtual War Memorial, 2017).
Once recovered Wilfred proceeded back to France on the Princess Victoria via Folkston on 5th December 1916. He re-joined his unit the 5th DW Base Depot on 16 January 1917 however, was again admitted to the 1st London General Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to his right knee on 16 October 1917. He later embarked from Landstephen Castle in England to return to Australia (Australian War Memorial, 2017). On his return to Australia Wilfred met and married Thelma; he and Thelma went on to have only one child, a daughter named Jessie. Wilfred died on the 9th September in 1958 of natural causes. Wilfred and Thelma are both buried in the Urana Cemetery as is their daughter, Jessie who died on 3rd October 2012 (National Archives, 2017).
Reference List
National Archives of Australia (2017). Your Story, Our History. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8860030 [Accessed on 21 September 2017].
Ration Shed Museum (2017). The HMAT Wandilla A62. Available at: http://cherbourgmemory.org/the-hmat-wandilla-a62/ [Accessed on 19 October 2017].
RSL Virtual War Memorial (2017). Wilfred Roy Womersley . Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/275020 [Accessed on 21 September 2017].
HMAT Wandilla A62. (Rationshed Museum, 2017).
Gravestone of Wilfred and his family in New South Wales (National Archives of Australia, 2017).