William BANNAN born in Lanarkshire, Scotland in August 1887.
William served in the 6th Scottish Regiment C Compay for four years before migrating to Australia.
William passed his medical to join the Australian Army at Wonthaggi on the 8th September 1915 and enlisted in the AIF in Melbourne on the 17th September 1915 when William was 28 years and one month of age.
His attestation papers describe him as being a coal miner and a Presbyterian, 5 f00t 9 inches tall, weighing 11 stone 8 pounds with light brown hair and a fresh complexion with a scar on his left knee and a black mark on his right knee. Whether William suffered these injuries whilst praying being a Presbyterian or as a coal miner is questionable.
Upon enlisting, Sapper William Bannan SERN 482 allocated 3/5ths of his wage to his wife Nellie at their Melbourne address of "Euston House" 197 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy.
William embarked for the Great War on 20th February 1916 and disembarkd at Marseilles on 5th May 1916 where he immediately suffered from rheumatism and was admitted to the No 3 Field Ambulance on the 20th May 1916 and was discharged to Duty on the 27th May 1916, however on the 5th of December 1916 was admitted to 10th Field Ambulance with influenza and discharged on the 9th of December 1916.
William was charged with drunkenness whilst on active service on the 7th August 1917 and awarded 15 days Field Punishment No 2 being restrained by handcuffs or fetters and given hard labour.
Subsequently William went AWL from 7.30am on the 10th September 1917 until 10.45am on 12th September 1917 and was convicted and awarded ten days Field Punishment No1 resulting in being handcuffed or fettered whilst being attached to a fixed object for not more than 2 hours per day and also forfeited 13 days pay.
William proceeded on leave to the UK on 8th September 1918 and rejoined the No 2 Tunnelling Corps on 27th September 1918, however on the 28th September 1918 he was wounded in action an admitted to the 118th Field Ambulance with either a gunshot wound or a schrapnel wound to his back and on he 1st October 1918 was transferred to the 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen France and was then transferred to England on the 4th October 1918 and admitted to Reading War Hospital and then to the 3rd Auxilary Dartford hospital and finally discharged from hospital on the 7th November 1918 and granted furlough.
On the 12 December 1918 William returned to Australia per the MT Nestor and disembarked at Melbourne on the 1st February 1919 and was discharged from the AIF at Melbouren on the 29th March 1919 being military unfit.
Willim died on the 14th October 1942 whilst residing at Merlynston Victoria leaving his wife Ellen (Nellie)and loving father of James (dec) and Jack.