WILLIAMS, Andrew James

Andrew’s enlistment papers record that he was born at Tamworth NSW to Mrs. Ann Williams.  He was a twenty seven year old Ironmonger working at Warialda when he enlisted at the recruiting rally on 13 January 1916 and agreed to serve from 1 February.  He joined with other district men who left together on that day for camp and who are regarded as members of the Kurrajong snowball recruiting drive.

He became a member of the 33rd Battalion, A Company which trained at Armidale and Rutherford prior to departure from Australia on HMAT A74 Marathon in May 1916.  After nine weeks at sea the Battalion arrived in England where further training was undertaken at Salisbury Plain before they were sent to France in November.  Andrew was wounded in action at the Battle of Messines in June 1917 and evacuated to hospital in England for treatment for a gunshot wound to his wrist.  He returned to his unit two months later.  He was wounded a second time in April 1918 and invalided to hospital in Birmingham, England with a gunshot wound to his thigh and ankle.  Five months later he returned to his unit in France.

Private Williams returned to Australia on the transport Borda and was medically discharged in September 1919. His name is recorded on the Honor Roll at the Warialda Town Hall.