William Douglas Halliday

William was born on 29^th May 1895 at Smithfield. His parents, Henry Halliday and Isabella Cullen were married at Angle Vale on 2 December 1875.   Henry was born in 1852 in Adelaide, the son of Robert, a farmer at Gawler Plains.   The family property was sold when Henry died, section 3202 Hundred of Munno Para.  The property consisted of 80 acres on which was erected a four roomed stone house, shed. Also section 3196, also 80 acres.  All stock and farm equipment was also for sale, including reapers, horses and all household furniture.

William was the youngest of seven children. He was born on 29 May 1895.

The others were;

Thomas Henry                 b.4 Feb 1876 at Gawler Plains

William Henry                 b. 17 Feb 1877 at Gawler Plains

Alexander                         b. 29 March 1879 at Gawler Plains

Isabella                             b. 15 May 1881 at Smithfield

Norman George              b. 31 May 1883 at Gawler Plains

Jane                                   b. 5 July 1885 at Gawler Plains

Thomas                             b. 31 May 1887 at Gawler Plains

Christina                           b. 18 April 1891 at Gawler Plains

William was apprenticed to a butcher for two and a half years. He had previously been in the infantry for 2 years, one of those in the Light Horse which he left because he left the district.   Presumably he was in the militia or territorials.  William enlisted in the Defence Forces on 26 April 1915 when he was working as a labourer.   He was placed in the 3^rd Light Horse Regiment 9^th Reinforcement.

William was average height, dark complexion with grey eyes and dark hair.   His initials were tattooed on his left forearm and he had a scar on his left shin.  He embarked on the HMAT “Star of England” on 21 September 1915.  He joined the forces on Gallipoli at Heliopolis on 13 November 1915.   On 2 January 1916 he disembarked from Mudros Alexandria and was absorbed in the Western Frontier Force.   

Several months later on 20 May 1916 he was admitted sick to the hospital in Kantara.  He was transferred to  hospital at Port Said until June when he re-joined his Regiment.  In August he again became sick and was in hospital at Port Said, Cairo and Abbassia with septic sores. It was eventually discovered that he had Bilharsia,  is a tropical flatworm disease.  On 21 January 1917 he was transferred to “Euripides” from Suez to be sent home to Australia.

On his travels home, he was AWOL  (Absent without Leave) from the ship at Colombo on and was fined 2 days pay.  He also went AWOL twice in March and once again in April when he was fined £3.   William for reasons unknown refused to be treated for his Bilharsia.  Although it has a low mortality rate, Bilharsia often is a chronic illness that can damage internal organs.   He was classed as being 25% less full capacity to work and granted a pension of 15 shillings per fortnight and was discharged as medically unfit.

After his discharge from the Army, he returned to civilian life.  Not long after his discharge,  in September 1918, he married Ruby Doris Heysed, aged 20 at St. Augustine’s Church Unley.  

They had two sons William Douglas born at Exeter, Semaphore 17 April 1919 and Maurice Kevin also at Exeter on 16 July 1922.   In 1941 they were still living at 12 Martini St. Exeter with the eldest son and both men were labourers.  

Maurice joined the Royal Australian Airforce in WWII and became a Leading Airman. William junior joined the Army and became a Corporal in the 23^rd AIF Training Battalion.  William Douglas junior died on 14 March 1947, leaving a young son Roger.  Maurice passed away in 1967, aged 45 years.

William Douglas senior died on 9 December 1970, aged 75 years at Woodville.  He is buried at Enfield Memorial Park.  Ruby passed away after 1972.    His name appears only on the Smithfield Honour board.