Wongarbon NSW
5054
28th Battalion
Tooraweenah Kookaburra
Returned to Australia July 20, 1919
Private William Donald Moore was a 22 year old labourer of Wongarbon when he enlisted with the Kookaburra Recruitment March in Mendooran 12 January 1916. The medical examination described him as 5’ 6” tall, 132lbs (60kgs), chest expansion of 34-36”, fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair, religion Roman Catholic and no distinctive marks. He was born 1894 to Charles and Sarah Moore of Wongarbon. His father, Charles was his next of kin.
He trained at Bathurst with the 45th Battalion and embarked at Sydney on the HMAT’ Ceramic’ on 14 April 1916. At Fremantle Western Australia, he was sick and disembarked on 20 April 201916. William was assigned to the 28th Battalion in May 1916 and embarked for England at Fremantle on the HMAT’ Seang Bea’ on 18 July 181916. He arrived at the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone, England on 9 September 1916. After further training he went to France on the SS ‘Henrietta’ to join his unit on 9 January, 1917.
Other than a five week period in hospital with Trench Foot and a two week leave in England, William remained with the 28th Battalion in France until 13 April, 1919, when it was disbanded.
William embarked for Australia from England on HMAT ‘Mahia’ on 4 June, 1919 and disembarked at Sydney 20 July 1919. He was discharged 4 September 1919. He was issued the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He is commemorated on the Wongarbon School Memorial.
William married Florence McCarney at Bathurst in 1920. William died of a poisoned arm at Condobolin Hospital in December 1922.