CARROLL, William Edward

Mr William Carroll, 139 Simpson Street, East Melbourne (late of the Customs Department), has been notified that his only son, Sergeant William E. Carroll, who enlisted in Febuary, 1915,  and served in Gallipoli,  and France has been wounded in France. 

William Edward Carroll enlisted 11 February, 1915, aged 23. He was  '5' feet 7.75 inches' in height and weighed 10 stone. He went for training at Broadmeadows Camp on 4 May, 1915, and was assigned to the 21st Battalion. The 21st did not take part in the Gallipoli landing, arriving on the Peninsula in late August, 1915 and were evacuated in mid-December. William Carroll was evacutated earlier, suffering from 'Celulitis' and was transferred to Mudros on 4 Dec ember,1915.  From there, he was transferred to Alexandria, then to the Base Hospital at Heliopolis 10 December 1915. He was discharged to duty on 3 January, 1916.

From Egypt, the 21st battalion was sent to France and was the first battalion to commence opertations on the Western Front. They were heavily engaged at Pozieres, where they suffered their worst casualties of the war at Moquet Farm.  William Carroll was wounded in action 12 November, 1916, with a gun shot wound to the upper back and was transferred to England to Southern General Hospital on 21 November, 1916.

He was promoted to Temporary Sergeant on 1 August 1916 and full Sergeant 1 October 1916.

William Carroll was sent to the School of Musketry at Tidworth from 26 February 1917 to 22 March 1917, where he qualified "1st Class" at  the Eight Rifle Course. He was sent back to France 10 June, 1917. By then, the 21st Battalion was engaged in the action to push the German army back to the Hindenburg Line. William Carroll was wounded in action 11 October 1917, with a gun shot wound to left knee. He was transferred back to London and admitted to the 1st Birmingham War Hospital 22 October 1917.

The wound marked the end of his active service. Carroll was sent back to Australia on A14 Euripides  30 January, 1918 and discharged on 4 May 1918,  3rd MD ex AIF. It is interesting that he was already on his way home to be discharged when his sister, Margaret,  wrote the attached letter pleading for his repatriation to Australia.

Living at 139 Simpson street East Melbourne in 1924, her surname is listed as Farmer and she was living with their father at 137 Simpson Street in 1921.

William Edward Carroll applied for Repatriation Benefits on 5 December, 1963. There is no evidence of response in his service record.

In 1931,  he was living at Block 276, Red Cliffs, and listed as horticulturist. Jean Carroll, at same address, was presumably his wife. They remained at this address till 1977. In latter years, this is also the address of John Desmond Carroll, plant operator - presumably his son. He may well have been a beneficiary of the Soldier Settlement Scheme, given that Red Cliffs was a place where land was available under this program, and that he was likely to have been a suitable candidate due to his "trade or calling" on enlistment being "agriculture".