William Matthew Currey VC MLA (1895-1948) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

William Matthew Currey VC MLA

Born 19 Sep 1895 in Wallsend, New South Wales (Australia)

Son of William Robert Currey and Mary Ellen (Lang) Currey

Husband of Emma (Davies) Currey — married 10 Apr 1920 in Punchbowl, New South Wales, Australia

Father of Joan Ellie Emmie (Currey) Lutton and Betty Clara (Currey) Henningham

Died 30 Apr 1948 at age 52 in Bexley, New South Wales, Australia

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Profile last modified 13 Jan 2024 | Created 12 Dec 2018

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Australian Victoria Cross recipients

Biography

William Currey VC MLA is Notable.

William Currey VC MLA was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

William Matthew Currey was born on 19th September 1895 near Wallsend, then a town west of Newcastle, New South Wales (Australia). He was the son of William Robert Currey, labourer and miner, and his bride Mary Ellen Lang. ^[1] Aged just four years and four months, he witnessed the federation of the six British Colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia. After being educated at Dudley (on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie) and Plattsburg (in Wallsend) Public Schools, the family moved to Tasma, 160 Francis Street, Leichhardt, in Sydney's inner western suburbs; where William found employment as a wireworker. ^[2]

Prior to the outbreak of the (First World) War in mid-1914, aged eighteen years, William enlisted in the Commonwealth Military Force (Militia) and was allocated to the 31st Infantry Battalion (not to be confused with the later AIF unit of that name, which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in August 1915), serving for eighteen months at Haberfield, near Leichhardt, when he was discharged due to varicosele, an enlargement of the veins within the scrotum. He then served at the German Concentration Camp at Holsworthy, for just under twelve months. ^[3]^[2] Several (indeed, most) biographies state that William was twice rejected, or soon discharged, as he was under-age and did not have his parents' permission. However, he was of sufficient age for enlistment in the Militia at eighteen (attained in September 1913) and Australian Imperial Force (AIF), his young nation's all-volunteer expeditionary force, at nineteen (attained in September 1914), although yet a minor (one did not attain adulthood then until 21).

William Currey VC MLA is an Anzac who served in World War One.

He was finally accepted into the AIF on 9th October 1916, by which time he had just turned 21 years of age. ^[3]^[4] He was described then as being 5 feet 5 inches (165 centimetres) tall and weighing 132 pounds (59.9 kilograms). ^[2] He embarked with reinforcements for the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery at Sydney for Europe on 9th November 1916 aboard HMAT Benalla A24 and disembarking in Devonport on 9th January 1917; the ship having to take the longer voyage around South Africa due to enemy ships in the Mediterranean. ^[5] After further training in England, and as part of that battalion's re-building following its decimation; he was posted to the 53rd Infantry Battalion, a unit of the 14th Brigade, 5th Division. William proceeded to France, and the Western Front, on 14th June and on 1st July joined his battalion; later that year fighting in the Battle of Polygon Wood in Flanders, Belgium, before returning to the Somme Valley in northern France.

He enjoyed three weeks (actually 20 days) leave in England from 8th to 28th February 1918. He spent a few days in the 12th Australian Field Ambulance in June due to 'defective vision'; rejoining his unit on 16th June. From 9th July to 3rd August he was detached to the 14th Australian Infantry Brigade School. ^[2]

Victoria Cross

William was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), gazetted in London 14th December 1918 and Melbourne 23rd May 1919, for his part in the Australian attack at Anvil Wood, near Péronne, in the Somme Valley, on 1st September 1918. ^[6] He had been recommended for the esteemed award on 11th September 1918. ^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] The citation read, "The 53rd Battalion began taking heavy casualties early in the day, William's company in particular suffering from a 77mm field gun firing at very close range. William rushed forward under machine gun fire, killed the whole crew and captured the weapon. In mid-afternoon, when the battalion encountered intense fire from a strong point, he worked round the flank of the position and opened fire with a Lewis gun before rushing the post, inflicting many casualties and dispersing the survivors. His courageous action enabled the battalion attack to proceed." ^[13] The London Gazette concluded that ..."his behaviour was a striking example of coolness, determination and utter disregard of danger ... and his gallant work contributed largely to the success of the operation." ^[14] Army historian and founder of the Australian War Memorial, Charles Bean, later added, "At three o'clock the next morning he volunteered to warn a company, which had become isolated, to withdraw; moving out into no-man's land he stood up and called out to the company, the sound of his voice attracting a torrent of enemy fire. After three attempts, during which his respirator was struck and he was gassed, he finally contacted the exposed company which then safely retired." ^[14]

William Currey VC MLA was gassed at Péronne, in the Somme Valley during The Great War.

The day following his gallant action, William was admitted to the 5th Field Ambulance due to the effects of gassing. Later that day he was transferred to the 37th Casualty Clearing Station, then to Ambulance Train No 33 on 2nd September, 5th General Hospital, Rouen on 3rd September and, finally, on 7th September was admitted to Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in England. He was discharged from hospital to furlough on 15th October and reported to No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny on 29th October; where he was when the Armistice was announced less than a fortnight later. He was repatriated to Australia, embarking aboard HMAT Orsova on 8th January 1919 and disembarking in Melbourne, Victoria on 20th February. He was demobilised from the AIF and discharged from the Commonwealth Military Force on 2nd April in Sydney, marked as 'medically unfit'. ^[2] After briefly working as a labourer, in September that year he joined the New South Wales Railways as a storeman, a position he retained until 1941. ^[15] For his war service, Australia not having struck and issued its own decorations at that time, he was awarded both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Although Presbyterian himself, William married Emma Davies on 10th April 1920 in St Saviour's Church of England (Anglican Church), Punchbowl, in Sydney's St George district. ^[16]

In 1930-32, probably for additional income due to the Great Depression, William served with the 45th Infantry Battalion, in the Militia. As a VC recipient, he was awarded the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937. On 8th July 1940, with the Second World War underway in Europe and escalating tension in the Pacific, he enlisted once more, initially with the senior non-commissioned rank of Sergeant but soon after being appointed a Warrant Officer with the Australian Army Instructional Corps in Eastern Command (the name of the New South Wales District). He was discharged on 27th May 1941 as he had announced that he was standing for election to the New South Wales Parliament. ^[17]

While employed with the railways he became active in the Australian Labor Party and on 16th May 1941 he resigned his post to stand as the Labor candidate for Kogarah in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. ^[15] By winning the election, he became the first VC recipient to enter the New South Wales Parliament. He was twice re-elected—in 1944 and 1947—and, the time corresponding with the Second World War, made the interests of ex-servicemen his particular concern.

Aged just 52 years, William collapsed suddenly in Parliament House on 27th April 1948 and passed away three days later whilst resting at home in Percival Street, Bexley. ^[18] Following his funeral in St Stephen's Presbyterian (now Uniting) Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney, which was attended by four other VC recipients as a mark of respect, his remains were cremated and ashes interred in Woronora Cemetery (now Woronora Memorial Park), Sutherland. ^[19]^[20] The Sydney Morning Herald published an excellent obituary on Saturday, 1st May: ^[21] His death was ascribed to effects of war service. ^[2]

"V.C. WINNER DEAD

"Mr. Currey, M.L.A.

"Mr. W. M. Currey, V.C., Labour member of the Legislative Assembly for Kogarah, died at his home in Percival Street, Bexley, last night. He was 52. Mr. Currey was the first Victoria Cross winner to enter the New South Wales State Parliament. He represented Kogarah since 1941.

"Mr. Currey was born at Wallsend, Newcastle. He served with the 53rd Battalion, A.I.F., in World War 1, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery in an attack on Peronne in France on the morning of September 1, 1918. He captured, single-handed and under heavy machine-gun fire, a 77 mm. gun, and later rushed an enemy strong point with a Lewis gun.

"Mr. Currey was, for many years, active in Labour politics before he entered Parliament. He worked consistently in the interests of ex-Servicemen, in both his political and his private life.

"He was an active member of the R.S.S. and A.I.L.A. He was one of the three Victoria Cross winners who took part in the Anzac Day march last Sunday.

"At Parliament House on the following Tuesday, he collapsed and had to be taken home. It is understood his death was caused by heart disease.

"Mr. Currey leaves a wife and two married daughters, Mrs. R. Lutton and Mrs. R. Henningham. Both daughters have been living with their husbands at Mr. Currey's house, which he had enlarged to accommodate them, because of the housing shortage."

William was survived by his wife, who passed in 1974, and their two daughters and their husbands: Joan and Reginald Lutton, and Betty and Robert Henningham.

Portrait of William Currey VC by
John Longstaff, Australian War Memorial

William remained a member of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA), forerunner of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL), until his untimely death.

A public appeal in 1956 resulted in the erection of a memorial plaque for William Currey in the Speakers Square within the New South Wales Parliament complex. During renovations in the 1970s the plaque was put into storage for safekeeping. As seems often to happen, it was forgotten and only rediscovered in 2008 and restored to its rightful place. ^[22]

William Matthew Currey VC MLA (1895 - 1948)

Biography

Sources

See also