William (Bill) Alfred Ronald
Stephen LearmonthBill was born on the 1st of October 1888 at Tallangatta, Victoria. He was one of ten children to Claude Alexander and Matilda (née Price). Between 1912 and 1914 Bill worked in the Tallangatta area as a labourer and station hand, most likely on the family property at Annandale.
Bill enlisted on the 14th of September, 1914 at Sydney. He was allocated the Regimental Number 605 and placed in E Company of the 1st Infantry Battalion, 1st Australian Brigade, 1st Australian Division.
The battalion had been moved from Randwick racecourse to Kesington Racecourse. It was here that personnel completed their equipping and began musketry training at the nearby Long Bay Rifle Range. On the 18th of October the battalion marched along Oxford Street, College Street and Macquarie Street to Circular Quay where they were ferried out to HMAT A19 Afric. On the 5th of December they disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt.
The battalion was taken to Mena Camp where they conducted further training and battalion exercises. On the 3rd of April they embarked on HMT Minnewaska and sailed for Mudros Harbor on Lemnos Island. Whilst here they practised disembarking from a troopship into the smaller boats.
The 1st Battalion landed at Gallipoli at 0500 hours and commenced disembarking at 0645 hours. The battalion war diarists notes that they landed without loss. At 0930 hours they received orders to reinforce Colononel MacLagan of the 3rd Brigade. Over the next four days they would work indpenednetly in the firing line. On the 29th they were withdrawn to the beach to rest and reorgansie. Three days later they were ordered to relieve British marines on two portions of the defenisve line. On the 19th of May, having been in the line since the 2nd of May, the Turks attacked in force. The battalion remained in action for the following four hours but the Turks suffered heavy losses. The 1st Battalion also had losses with Bill being amongst those who had been counted as missing in action. His body was eventually found and, on the 20th of May, he was laid to rest in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery at Gallipoli, by Chaplain Wray, the battalion chaplain.
On the 16th of July, Bill’s sister, Alice, received a letter from Private Harold Brook who offered his condolences over Bill’s death. At that time the family had receieved no notiificiations, official or otherwise, from Defence Department. On the 3rd of August, Base Recvords replied to an enquiry made by Bill’s older brother, Police Constable H.J. Ronald of North Fitzroy. Three and a half months later the family received an official letter stating that Private William Alfred Ronald (605) had been killed in action at Gallipoli on the 19th of May, 1915.
Bill is also remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Corryong War Memorial. For his service, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Bill’s younger brother, James, also enlisted in the 1st AIF. Unfortunately he died on the 18th of June 1915 due to bronchopneumonia as complications of measles in the St. Kilda Military Hospital in Melbourne
