William James Supple
Stephen LearmonthWilliam was born around 1897 at Tallangatta in Victoria. He was one of five children of James and Alice Ann (née Mildren). He was only 18 and employed as a labourer when he enlisted in the AIF on the 13th of March 1916. At the time his family was living in Cravensville in the Tallangatta Valley.
William’s enlistment papers show a young man, at a height of 5 feet 7 1/4 inches with a weight of 147 lbs. (about 67 kilograms) and a chest measurement of 351/2 inches (only 11/2 inches within the required standard). With dark hair and blue eyes, his complexion was listed as ruddy. A comment makes note of a scar on the back of the head, perhaps an accident from childhood or when he was working as a labourer.
On the 3rd of June 1916 William, along with the rest of the 37th Battalion, embarked on the troopship HMAT A34 Persic and sailed off to war. Approximately six weeks later the 37th Battalion disembarked at Plymouth in England. On the same day as they arrived in the UK, the 25th of July, the Battalion entrained for Amesbury, arriving at No.5 Camp, Larkhill on Salisbury Plain at 0215 the following morning.
On the very day that the 37th Battalion was being inspected by Major General John Monash, the GOC of the 3rd Division, the 20th of September 1916, William was admitted to the Brimstone Botton Isolation Hospital at Tidworth being seriously ill with the measles. William never recovered and died three days later of measles and pneumonia. He was buried in the Durrington Cemetery, near Bulford in grave number 107.
William is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Wabba and Berringama Districts Pictorial Honour Roll, the Tallangatta Valley War Memorial, and the Corryong War Memorial. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal.
