Lives of the First World War
Discover, explore and remember millions of personal stories from the First World War
We remember William John Symons
We remember William John Symons
Timeline
Timeline
1889
1914
service
Australian Imperial Force
Lieutenant
7 Battalion
Source:9148592
2nd July 1914
1914
dates
Age 25
Source:8104685
17th August 1914
1914
employment
Traveller
Source:8104685
17th August 1914
1914
enlistment
Carlton, Victoria
Australia
Source:8104685
17th August 1914
1914
service
Australian Imperial Force
Private
37 Battalion
Source:8104685
17th August 1914 - 18th August 1914
1914
service
Australian Imperial Force
Colour Sergeant
7 Battalion
Source:8104685
19th August 1914 - 8th April 1915
1915
awards
Victoria Cross (VC)
British Award/Decoration
Source:9148592
8th August 1915
1916
service
Australian Imperial Force
Captain
37 Battalion
Source:9148592
1st May 1916 - 7th December 1918
1916
dates
Age 28
Source:8104685
31st May 1916
1917
hospitalisation
Wounded in the 10th Brigade's raid on 27 February 1917
Hospital/Institution
Source:9148592
27th February 1917
1917
hospitalisation
Gassed during the battle of Messines, Belgium
Hospital/Institution
Source:9148592
7th June 1917
1918
marriage
Isabel Annie Hockley
Source:9148592
15th August 1918
awards
Order of the British Empire (OBE)
British Award/Decoration
Source:8447931
service
Australian Imperial Force
Lieutenant-Colonel
Source:8447931
1948
death
Brain tumour
St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London
United Kingdom
Source:9148592
Source:8447931
24th June 1948
Details
Details
Names
| Type | Name |
|---|---|
| First Names | William John |
| Initials | WJ |
| Last Name | Symons |
| Source | 8447931 |
Contribution
Military Service
Military Service
| Service | Number | Unit | Section | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Imperial Force | 7 Battalion | Colour Sergeant | |||
| Australian Imperial Force | 37 Battalion | Private | |||
| Australian Imperial Force | Lieutenant-Colonel | ||||
| Australian Imperial Force | 7 Battalion | Lieutenant | |||
| Australian Imperial Force | 37 Battalion | Captain |
Awards
| Award | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Order of the British Empire (OBE) | British Award/Decoration | |
| VC | British Award/Decoration | |
| Victoria Cross (VC) | British Award/Decoration |
Family
Parents
| Name | Relationship | Dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Emma Symons nee Manning | mother | ||
| William Samson Symons | father |
Spouse
| Name | Relationship | Dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isabel Annie Hockley | wife | 15th August 1918 |
Physical
| Complexion | Eyes | Hair | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Grey | Brown |
| Date | Height | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914-08-17 | 5'9" |
Religion
| Date | Religion | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914-08-17 | Anglican - Church of Eng, Irl, Wales or other |
Media
Media
previous
next
-
Portrait photograph of W J SymonsCAPTAIN W.J. SYMONS, VC, 37TH BATTALION.
Contributed by:
Charlotte33
Communities
Communities
-
Stories linked to artworks in IWM CollectionsMore about Stories linked to artworks in IWM Collections
-
Gallipoli Association CommunityMore about Gallipoli Association Community
-
-
-
Lives of the Second World WarMore about Lives of the Second World War
Evidence
Evidence
IWM is not responsible for the content of external websites. Please note that some sources will require payment to view.
Official Records
| Title | Connected by | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Australian ANZACs from the National Archives of Australia | ||
| Victoria Cross Recipients 1854-2006 Transcription | Charlotte33 | |
| Victoria Births Transcription | Jonathan101862 | |
| England & Wales marriages 1837-2005 Transcription | Jonathan101862 | |
| England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 Transcription | Jonathan101862 |
External Evidence
| Reference | Connected by | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Cross citiation, the London Gazette | Charlotte33 | |
| Symons, William John (1889–1948) | Jonathan101862 | |
| CHELSEA REGISTRATION DISTRICT | Jonathan101862 | |
| William Symons | Jonathan101862 | |
| Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) William Symons | Jonathan101862 |
Multimedia
| Title | Connected by | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait photograph of W J Symons | Charlotte33 |
Stories
Stories
{{warning}}
No related stories were found.
-
{{story._source.description[0].value | trim:50}}
{{story._source.date.from.iso | displayDate}} - {{story._source.date.to.iso | displayDate}}
{{story._source.date.from.iso | displayDate}}
{{story._source.date.iso | displayDate}}
{{story._source.certainty.date.from.iso | displayDate}} - {{story._source.certainty.date.to.iso | displayDate}}
{{story._source.certainty.date.from.iso | displayDate}}
{{story._source.certainty.date.iso | displayDate}}
More about {{story._source.summary_title}}
We remember William John Symons
Also remembered by 5 people