William Deonck
A group portrait of A Company, 17th Battalion, New South Wales, c. 1914–1918. Private William Deonck is recorded as being in this photograph, but his location is unknown. Nada Studios.
William Deonck was born near Vilna, Russia, on 2 February 1892, to Nikoda and Mary Deonck. Today known as Vilnius, it is the capital city of Lithuania. William became a seaman and travelled the world, eventually reaching Australia. When his ship left Australia, however, he was not on it, having chosen to instead remain in the country. William later told his grandson, Robert, that he was caught and declared an illegal immigrant. The Australian government gave William two options: to be deported to Russia, or to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and serve in the First World War. He thought the war would only last a few months, and enlisted in the AIF on 25 February 1915.
William was posted to the 17th Battalion and left Australia on board HMAT Themistocles. He landed with his battalion on Gallipoli in August 1915, four months after the beginning of the campaign. Years later he told his daughter, Dorothy, that they were all scared when they reached the peninsula. Despite this, William quickly gained a reputation among the Australians for being fearless. As a result of his service on Gallipoli, he was recommended for a Military Medal by his commander, Lieutenant Colonel E.T. Martin:
“As a bomber on Quinn's post, where bombing was exceptionally heavy, he proved himself reliable, keen and energetic. His demeanour among his comrades is invaluable owing to his cheerful disposition under the most adverse circumstances.”
The awarding of the Military Medal was confirmed in April 1917, long after the evacuation from Gallipoli. Robert stated that his grandfather told him about the evacuation:
“… they used to trick the guns so the rifles were still going off. I don't know how they did it, they had sand or something pulling down on the trigger … so the Turks still thought there was someone there.”
Following the Gallipoli campaign, the 17th Battalion fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium. In July 1916, William was wounded in action in France. He had been shot in the left shoulder and was sent to England for treatment. While there, William was promoted to lance corporal.
He stayed in England for a number of years after his hospitalisation, and did not return to fight on the Western Front. He eventually transferred to the Anzac Provost Corps, which served as the police force of the AIF and spent most of his time serving at the Tidworth Barracks in Wiltshire, England.
During his time in England, William met Kathleen Mary Maude Spinks. After the war, on 6 June 1919, William and Kathleen were married in London, where they were both living. William was discharged from the army later that year when the AIF was demobilised. William and Kathleen remained in London, before moving to Australia two years later.
William and Kathleen had two children. The first, Dorothy, was born in 1924, with Ralph following four years later. William was naturalised, becoming an Australian citizen in 1940, and his family remained in Australia for the rest of their lives.