William Francis Westneat (1875 - 1950)

Born 16 May 1875 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Blanche M. (Hall) Westneat — married 1920 in Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia

Died 7 May 1950 at age 74 in Neutral Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

William Francis Westneat was born on 16 May 1876 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the son of Priscelia (Luce) Westneat and William Sheridan Westneat.^[1]

He was the oldest of the three boys in the family and was known as "Billy". He was 16 years of age when Priscelia died. At the age of 24 he was either still living in the family household or had returned for he is listed in the Roll of Voters in 1899.

It is believed that his father William had already moved in with the Flentjars by this time. Billy has followed in William's footstep, however and become a printer as well.

Like most of the Westneats of this line, Billy had moved out of Prahran and was living in New South Wales when, at the age of 40, he enlisted in the army on 16 August 1915.

Billy was married to Mabel Isabel Westneat at the time of his enlistment.^{[citation needed]} He and Mabel divorced at a later unknown date.

Billy sailed for England in December of 1915. He was checked into a hospital in France for "aortic dilation" and spent the next two years in and out of hospitals in France and England. He returned to Australia at the end of 1918 to receive his medical discharge from the Army on 10 December 1918. ^[2]

He was attached to the Australian Railway Operating Division Details. In June, 1919, when William Sheridan Westneat died in Petersham, New South Wales, Billy was apparently living in the house at the time. It was Billy who provided much of the information regarding William at the time of his death.

One year later, Billy, at the age of 46, married 23 year old Blanche M. Hall in NSW.^[3] Their children were:

• Francis D. Westneat (1920–?)^[4]
• Victor C. Westneat (1921–?)^[5]

On 6 June 1941, Billy re-enlisted as a Lance Corporal in the Australian Army. The Place of enlistment was the recruiting Depot E C, New South Wales. The Locality of the Enlistment was Kentucky South, New South Wales. His service number was N271835 and his next of kin was listed as Blanche Westneat. Billy was discharged on 1 October 1943 at the age of 58. He was attached at discharge to the 7th Australian Maintenance platoon.

Billy died in 1950 at his home in Neutral Bay, New South Wales.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth record: 12543 / 1875. BDM Victoria. https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history.
   (Name: William Francis WESTNEAT); (Place: MELB); (Mother: Pricilla LUCE); (Father: William Sherida)
2. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/database/133/index.asp
3. ↑ Marriage record: 14122/1920. BDM NSW. https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?3.
   (WILLIAM F WESTNEAT and BLANCHE M HALL; KOGARAH)
4. ↑ Birth record: 40883/1920. BDM NSW. https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?7. (Name: FRANCIS D WESTNEAT); (District: SYDNEY); (Mother: BLANCHE M); (Father: WILLIAM F)
5. ↑ Birth record: 43991/1921. BDM NSW. https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?7. (Name: VICTOR C WESTNEAT); (District: ROCKDALE); (Mother: BLANCHE M); (Father: WILLIAM F)
6. ↑ Family Notices (1950, May 8). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18158617.

   WESTNEAT William Francis -May 7 1950 at his residence Neutral Bay beloved husband of Blanche May and loved father of Francis and Victor.

• "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2M1-6SRS : 26 January 2016), William F Westneat, died 07 May 1950; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Macquarie Park Cemetery, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia.
• Australian Government website: Department of Veterans' Affairs. World War Two Service. Name: WESTNEAT, WILLIAM FRANCIS, Service: Australian Army, Service Number: N271835, Date of Discharge: 01 Oct 1943, Rank: Lance Corporal. https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=348285&c=WW2
• Westneat Family History website: Australian Lineage. Generation from Ezra as the start of the Westneats: Grandparents Ezra Westneat and Mary Barham (UK, AU, US, NZ). https://www.westneat.com/Australia/WilliamSheridan/Billy/Billy.htm