William Reuben BRIGGS
Year of Birth: 1894
Place of Birth: Warialda, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 23 February 1941, Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia
Australian Defence Force: Australian Infantry Force
Rank: Corporal
Unit(s): 13 Garrison Battalion, Australian Infantry
Service Number: N104178
Died: 28 December 1942
Age: 48 years
Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot A – Row A – Grave 84
William was born 27 November 1894, one of nine children of John and Mary (Schmidt) Briggs, who were all born in the Inverell area.
He married Johanna Louise Ryan on the 18 September 1920 in Enfield, New South Wales. They had four children.
William served in both World Wars. He enlisted in WWI January 1916 at aged 21, he was 5 feet 11 inches, weight 168 pounds with dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair, living at Warialda New South Wales. Serving in the 33 Battalion A.I.F. he proceeded overseas to France where he was wounded in action in July 1918 and invalided to hospital in England for treatment. He was discharged from the army in June 1919. William was in the First Contingent of the Kurrajongs recruiting drive.
Electoral Rolls for New South Wales from 1930-1937 show his occupation as a labourer.
On 14 January 1941 he joined the Second World War at the age of 46, his occupation was a quarryman and described as having dark hair and dark eyes.
William died as the result of injuries he received when he was riding in a military truck that was hit by another military vehicle.
William Reuben Briggs’s name is on the Warialda School Honour Roll also lcated at panel 77 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 & B884, (BRIGGS William Reuben) National Archives of Australia
Queensland Births Deaths and Marriages Index
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
New South Wales Birth Death & Marriage Index
Inverell Remembers World War I
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