Friday 14 September 2018

W Freeman 2809

The following entry is from They Answered The CallClick here for the contents page.

William FREEMAN


Service number: 2809.  Age: 25 years.  Enlisted: 15 Sep 1916.
Occupation: Fisherman.  Next of kin: (mother) Mrs Janet Freeman.
Address on enlistment:  Toorbul.
 
Improvised sign on three pieces of wood indicating
the Orderly Room of 3 Machine Gun Company in France and Belgium. [1]

William Freeman in uniform. [2]

Service Summary:
15 Sep 1916: 6 reinforcement 41 Battalion.
23 Dec 1916: Embarked from Sydney on HMAT A64 Demosthenes.
16 Aug 1917: 3 Machine Gun Battalion.
6 Sep 1918: Wounded in action France.
5 Apr 1919: Returned to Australia from Devonport on Armagh.
29 Jun 1919: Discharged.

Life Summary:
William Freeman was the eldest son of Edward Henry Freeman Snr (1863-1940) and Janet McAllister McGill (1864-1935) and was born 16 Oct 1890 at Toorbul. His younger brother Edward Freeman [2987] also enlisted. William Freeman’s occupation was fisherman and the extended Freeman family lived at Toorbul.

William Freeman married Jessie Buckby in 1920 and the couple with their growing family settled on Bribie Island where William Freeman worked as caretaker for the Brisbane Tug and Steamship Company and his wife was postmistress. William Freeman’s children went to the Bribie State School (established 1924) with Kit Freeman starting grade 1 in 1925, William Freeman Jnr in 1928, Ailsa Freeman in 1930 and Edward Freeman in 1940.

William Freeman also served in the Second World War – see that entry in next section for later information about WilliamFreeman.

1923. Group of people at Bongaree Jetty. William Freeman standing on right. [3]

William Freeman’s home on Bribie Island. [4]





[1] Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial RELAWM 10662 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C144335 
[2] Photo courtesy of Lynda Sach, Western Australia. 
[3] Photo VC8_090 Vera Campbell Album / Ted Clayton collection.
[4] Photo courtesy of Lynda Sach, Western Australia.

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