General News
2 August, 2025
VETERANS' VOICES: William Norman Quihampton
William Norman Quihampton was born at Birchip in 1894 to John Wyborn Quihampton and MaryAnn McIntyre.
William Norman Quihampton was born at Birchip in 1894 to John Wyborn Quihampton and MaryAnn McIntyre.
William was schooled at the Birchip State School.
Before enlistment William was a farmer.
He enlisted in Melbourne, joining the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on August 25 1916 as a 22-year-old.
William was single and gave his home town as Daylesford.
His service numbers were 426 and later 426B.
Private William Norman Quihampton embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Port Lincoln (A17) on October 20 1916 and was transferred to Ulysses (A38) in Sierra Leone on December 5 1916.
He finally disembarked at Devonport, England, on December 28 1916.
Reinforcements were given only basic training in Australia before training was completed in training units in England.
Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain and surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On December 29 1916 William was marched in from overseas to Australian Details at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England.
He was transferred to 3rd Division Machine Gun Company at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, on February 13 1917 and taken on strength the same day with 6th Machine Gun Company.
William was written up for an offence: being absent without leave from tattoo to 10.55pm on May 19 1917.
The offence was admonished by Captain Algie.
On June 15 1917 William was appointed to the rank of driver.
He proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on September 7 1917.
At this point he was reallotted his regiment number to contain the letter ‘B’ – it was now 426B.
On October 12 1917 William was sent to 11th Australian Field Ambulance with a dislocated right knee.
He was transferred to 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station the same day and then transferred to 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville on October 13.
William was transferred sick to 5th Convalescent Depot at Cayeaux on November 2.
He was discharged to Base on November 21 and was marched into base at Camiers on November 22 1917.
William was marched out to his unit on November 28 and rejoined his unit in the field on December 3.
He proceeded on leave from February 11 1918 and rejoined from leave on February 28.
William was wounded in action on September 18 1918.
He was admitted to 1st Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to the buttock and transferred to 53rd Casualty Clearing Station the same day.
He was transferred to 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen on September 19 1918 and invalided to England on Hospital Ship Carisbrook Castle on September 21.
On September 22 William was admitted to Alexandria Hospital at Cosham with a gunshot wound to the right leg and buttock and his condition was categorised as being severe.
He was transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on November 12 for convalescence.
He was on furlong from December 31 1918 and was to report to No 2 Command Depot on January 14 1919.
William was absent without leave on January 14 1919.
He was due to report to headquarters, and was advised to report to headquarters on January 18 1919.
His lateness was excused and he was marched into No 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, on January 20.
On January 25 William was admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, with bronchial pneumonia.
He was reported as dangerously ill on January 26.
Driver William Norman Quihampton died at 11.30pm on January 28 1919 at 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, of influenza and bronchial pneumonia.
He was buried in St John the Evangelist Churchyard, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, , in plot 40.G.11.
In this cemetery there are 140 other WWI Australian war graves and two Australian WWI nurses laid to rest.
William is honoured at the Australian War Memorial on panel 176, on the Daysdale & District WWI Honour Roll and on the Daysdale Roll of Honour.
Suton Veny (St John’s) churchyard
The 26th Division was concentrated at Sutton Veny in April 1915 and No 1 Australian Command was there from the end of 1916 until October 1919.
There was also a hutted military hospital of more than 1200 beds at Sutton Veny for much of the war and No 1 Australian General Hospital was stationed there after the armistice.
Sutton Veny contains 168 World War I world war burials, 167 of them in a plot at the northwest corner of the church.
Of these, 142 are Australians.
There is only one World War II burial in the church yard.
With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.