3rd Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps
William Robert Jerrom was born in 1889. He wasthe son of George Jerrom, who was the owner ofG Jerrom & Co, a general merchant store in Narrandera, southern New South Wales (NSW): it is probable that he worked in his father’s business as on his attestation papers he noted his occupation as ‘mercer’. A mercer specialises in textiles and fabrics and that was one of the services G Jerrom & Co. offered.
On 20 March 1916 William Jerrom attested for military service at the RAS Grounds, NSW and he joined the 9th Machine Gun Corps (MGC) Company. On 1 May 1916 he sailed on board a troopship from Australia bound for England, where he arrived on 10 July 1916. After several months of training he crossed the Channel from Southampton to Le Havre, arriving there on 22 November 1916. After joining up with the 9th MGC in the field he was admitted to 7 General Hospital, St. Omer with a bout of mumps on 3 January 1917. He was unable to rejoin his unit until 23 January 1917.
He was wounded in action on 2 June 1917, when a bullet entered the back of his right leg above the ankle fracturing the fibula. He was treated initially at the 9th Australian Field Ambulance before being passed on to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was evacuated to England from Boulogne on 7 June 1917, on board the Hospital Ship Jan Breydel. He remained in hospital or convalescence in England and joined a Training Battalion at Longbridge Deverill, near Warminster, Wiltshire on 14 November 1917.
It was back to France on 30 November 1917, via Folkestone to a training area at Camiers, just north of Etaples, on the Channel coast. On 8 December he rejoined the 9th MGC in the field. He served with them until 17 April 1918, when he was badly gassed during one of the German Spring Offensives. He was taken to 11 Stationery Hospital at Rouen and thence to England on board the Hospital Ship Grant Castle. His final destination was the Suffolk Hall Voluntary Aid Detachmen Hospital at Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, which was staffed by No 216 Gloucestershire VAD. Here he died of gas poisoning at 11pm on 24 April 1918, aged 29.
Private Jerrom was a Roman Catholic and prior to his funeral a requiem mass was aid for him in the Church of St Gregory’s Priory. He was afforded a full military funeral at his burial in Cheltenham Cemetery at 4pm on 29 April 1918. The Gloucestershire Volunteer Regiment provided a bugler and firing party. Later a standard CWGC headstone was erected over his grave.
His personal effects were sent to his father at Audley Street, Narrandera, NSW. He left the remainder of his estate to his sister, Miss Myra Jerrom and a friend, Miss L McConville of Lammer Street, Narrandera.
Researched by Graham Adams 24 February 2013