1166 Corporal William Pople - Cassilis Died of wounds 15 July 1915

….. volunteered to take part in fatal attack

William was born at Talbotville in 1882, the son of Stephen and Catherine who lived at Cassilis. Pople was a butcher by trade and both of his parents had died when war broke out. Three of his brothers Henry, James and John, also enlisted with two of them surviving and Henry dying in France in 1916. William and John enlisted within a week of each other with William joining the 22 nd  Battalion on 11 September 1914. He was in the initial landing at Gallipoli and was transferred to the hospital ship with head injuries on 21 May but reunited with his unit a fortnight later on 3 June. On 12 July he volunteered to take part in an attack on a crater at Gaba Tepe near a German Officer’s trench and was promoted to Corporal for these actions, however he was severely wounded in the thigh during the attack and was transferred to the Gascon for treatment. He died three days later at 10.20am and was buried at sea off the island of Mudros. William’s brother, John, survived the war and married some years later. His first born was a son whom he named William – after his uncle who died at Gallipoli.

The telegram that was sent back to the Department from Omeo advising that William’s Aunt had been advised of his death as his father was not in Cassilis.