S. S. Williamson Memorial Plaque

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Private S. S. Williamson

Clunes RSL Sub-Branch

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This memorial plaque is located at St. Paul’s Church of England, Clunes, Victoria. 

Stanley Stawell Williamson was born at Clunes, Victoria, in 1894 to George Innes Williamson and Mary Jane Williamson (nee Smith). He was the second youngest of six children, four boys and two girls. Stanley undertook his schooling at the Clunes State School. He also served two years of an apprenticeship at the Great Boulder Mine in Western Australia.

He enlisted for service with the Australian Imperial Force on 5th July 1917 at Melbourne aged 22 years and four months. Prior to his enlistment he had served one year with the Senior Cadets and four years with the Citizen Forces with the 71st Battalion (Victoria) and the 84th Battalion (Western Australia).

On his enlistment form his occupation was listed as Fitter and he was single. He was 5 ft 3 ½ inches tall and weighed 9 st 10 lbs. His religion was Church of England and his next of kin was his father George Williamson of Clunes, Victoria. He joined his brother, 2nd Lieutenant Milton Arthur Williamson, who had enlisted for service 17 months earlier.

Private Williamson sailed from Melbourne aboard the ‘Euripides’ on 11 September 1916, arriving in Plymouth on 26th October 1916 where he joined the 2nd Training Battalion. While in England he spent 15 days in the Brimstone Bottom Hospital for an unspecified illness. 

From England he proceeded to France on 4th February 1917 where he joined the 8th Battalion on 10th February 1917. He was initially reported missing in action at Broodseine Ridge, Belgium on 4th October 1917 and later confirmed to be killed in action.

Private Williamson was buried off Sunken Road, in Belgium but the location of the grave is not known. He is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 17.

The memorial plaque for Private Williamson, which is located at St. Paul’s Church of England, Clunes, Victoria, was unveiled on Thursday 25th September 1919. It is erected on the north wall of the church and sits opposite what was then the family pew. He is also remembered at the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Clunes Cenotaph, Clunes Town Hall Photo List, Tourello Walnut Grove, and the Clunes State School Honour Roll.

For his service Private Williamson was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

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