William Dalgleish Oliver

(Confirmed)

Born: 1 January, 1889

Died: 9 June, 1945

Biographical Summary:

Wounded in action on 7 August 1915 while serving at Gallipoli with the 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment (1st ALH).  The following describes the events of that day:

[F]rom Pope's Hill … the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade attacked Turkish positions on the Chessboard at dawn on the 7th August, 1915. Led by Major J M Reid, the ill fated attempt to capture the Chessboard trenches north of the Bloody Angle resulted in severe casualties. The 1st Light Horse Brigade reached the third line of Turkish trenches, but were forced to withdraw due to the strength of the counterattack.  [Source: Australian War Memorial, C02705]

There were heavy casualties as a result of the attack, with the 1st ALH losing 15 killed, 98 wounded and 24 missing [1st ALH War Diary, August 1915].

He was evacuated from Gallipoli to Malta for treatment of compound fractures and wounds to both legs caused by a Turkish bomb (hand grenade).  He was then sent, in September 1915, to England and then Wales for further treatment.  He remained there until June 1916 when he embarked on the Euripides to return to Australia.

His brother Jack Davidson Oliver was wounded in the same action.

[JSB]

Service Number: 321

Ranks:

• Held rank of Trooper

Birth Records:

• 1 January, 1889 in Bourke

Death Records:

• Wounded
• 9 June, 1945 in Bega, NSW, Australia

Address:

• Pendiana 14 Macpherson Street Cremorne NSW Australia

Relationships:

• father - William Oliver
• mother - Elizabeth Dowell Whately
• wife - Marjorie Godfrey

Main Sources:

• OLIVER William Dalgleish Service Number 321 Place of Birth Bourke NSW Place of Enlistment Roseberry Park NSW Next of Kin NA OLIVER W (Website)
• First World War Embarkation Rolls William Dalgleish Oliver (Webpage)
• General view of Pope’s Hill Quinn’s Post and Courtney’s Post from Walker’s Ridge Photograph AWM C02705 (Webpage)
• FROM ALL PARTS Wounded (Newspaper Article)
• CASUALTIES SEVENTYFOURTH LIST NEW SOUTH WALES WOUNDED (Newspaper Article)
• HIT BY A BOMB (Newspaper Article)
• MEN WHO RETURNED (Newspaper Article)
• THE REFERENDUM (Newspaper Article)
• LIGHT HORSE UNION (Newspaper Article)
• First Light Horse Veterans (Newspaper Article)
• MEN AND WOMEN Personal Paragraphs (Newspaper Article)
• LOCAL AND GENERAL Marriage (Newspaper Article)
• COURT Admission as solicitor (Newspaper Article)
• LOCAL AND GENERAL (Newspaper Article)
• Death Notice (Newspaper Article)
• OBITUARY MR W D OLIVER (Newspaper Article)

Commemorations:

• Oliver on the St Peter's Anglican Church World War 1 Honour Roll