William John Symons

From Alf Askin's research notes

Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.

SYMONS, William John. (reg No. 1201).

Second Lieutenant. 7th Battalion * Australian Imperial Force.

London Gazetted on 15th October 1915.

VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.

Born on 10th July 1889 at Eaglehawk, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

Died on 24th June 1948 at London.

Memorial on grave at Golders Green Cemetery, London, also on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

Digest of Citation reads: At Lone Pine, Gallipoli, over the period 8th/9th August 1915, Second Lieutenant SYMONS commanding a section of newly captured trenches, with great coolness, repelled several counter attacks by the enemy. An early morning attack on an isolated Sap resulted in six of the officers becoming casualties and a part of the Sap was lost to the enemy. It was retaken, in a charge, by Lieutenant SYMONS, during which he shot two Turks with his revolver. Again the Sap was attacked, this time from three sides, and this officer, in the face of heavy fire, withdrew 15 yards to obtain some head cover and managed to build a barricade. The Turks set fire to the head cover, but he managed to extinguish it and rebuild the barricade. It was his determination and calm that finally forced the Turks to retire.

* Victoria.

Additional information:. Lieutenant Colonel SYMONS was the son of William Samson and Mary SYMONS, both Australian-born. His father's family came from Cornwall and his mother's family from Sheffield and they emigrated to Australia. He was educated at Eaglehawk State School, Bendigo, Victoria.. On the 15th August 1918, he married Isabel Anna Hockley at Sir Mary's Church, Hayling Island in Hampshire. A daughter, Isabel Evelyn, was born to them on 21st May 1919,at Armadale, Australia. He joined, as a Private, the Australian Imperial Force on 15th August 1914, and amazingly was promoted to Colour-Sergeant just two days later. As well as serving in Gallipoli, where he won his VC, he served in Egypt. Promotion came quickly because he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 26th April 1915, just eight months after his enlistment. Less than a year later, he was further promoted to Captain. On 17th February 1917 he led 250 men on a raid, for which, he was Mentioned in Despatches. He was twice mentioned in the DROs for action during the repelling of enemy attacks.

Updated:08.01.04