Cover Photo-- 1877 Private (Pte) (Shoeing Smith) William John Biddle, 25 Brigade Field Artillery, of Warwick Qld. Formerly a labourer, Pte Biddle enlisted on 2 August 1915 and as part of the 5th Light Horse Regiment Reinforcements, embarked from Brisbane, Qld, aboard HMAT Kyarra (A55) on 3 January 1916. He died of accidental injuries in France on 18 January 1917, aged 27, when a bunker he was collecting fire wood from collapsed on top of him. William Biddle's brother, 308 Pte Donald Peter Biddle was killed in an accident prior to his embarkation.
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Service Number:--- 1877
Enlisted:--- 2 August 1915, Toowoomba
Last Rank:--- Shoeing-Smith
Last Unit:--- 25th Field Artillery Brigade
Born:--- Warwick, Queensland, 1 February 1890
Home Town:--- Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland
Schooling: ---State School, Thanes Creek, Queensland
Occupation:--- Labourer
Died:--- Accidental Injuries due to dugout collapse, France, 18 January 1917, aged 26 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Buried at Bottom Wood
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William John BIDDLE was born on 1st February, 1890 in Warwick, Queensland
His parents were Thomas BIDDLE & Jessie Ann WHITE
He enlisted in Toowoomba on 2nd August, 1915 and embarked with the 5th Light Horse Regiment, 13th Reinforcements on the HMAT Kyarra fron Brisbane on 3rd January, 1916
William died of injuries accidentally received when a dugout collapsed on him - he was buried in Bottom Wood and his name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial & the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
Medals: British War Medal & Victory Medal
Last Rank was Shoeing Smith
His brother, Private Donald Peter BIDDLE (SN308) was killed in a Railway accident prior to his embarkation & died at Brisbane General Hospital on 7th December, 1915.