GOLDFIELDS REGIMENT AT THE ROCKINGHAM CAMP

William Owen Mansbridge (Old Bill) was born at Chester Castle, Cheshire, on 13 January, 1872. He came to WA in 1890 and spent the next five years in the Kimberley where he devoted much of his time studying the geology of the area. In 1895 he was appointed Registrar at Lawlers, East Murchison in the Goldfields, where he remained for five years, during which time he acted as Warden and Resident Magistrate on several occasions. He also collected specimens for the Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria in 1895. He married Annie Caroline Jones on 24 June, 1897, at Lawlers. They had five children: Wurdell, Franklin, Beatrice (Trixie), Muriel and Violet (Ida). In 1896 he gained his first commission - that of lieutenant, and two years later was promoted to captain. From 1905 to 1914 he was associated with the 84th Infantry Goldfields Battalion, which he was commanding with the rank of major, when WWI broke out. He enlisted for service in September 1914, a company commander of the 16th Battalion AIF and landed at Gallipoli. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for 'exceptional gallantry and resource' during operations near Gaba Tepe, during the first assault, and again on 2nd and 3rd May 1915 during an assault on a difficult position. He was invalided home shortly afterwards. He was re-allotted at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with the 44th Batttalion AIF on 10 May 1916 and remained with the battalion until after the Battle of Messines in 1917, when he was transferred to the 11th training Battalion on 5 August 1917. He was subsequently transferred to the No 1 Convalescent Depot in December 1917 where he was given command on 28 March 1918. He was Officer in Charge of the Australian troops who comprised part of the Mounted Imperial Escort to King George V at the opening of Parliament in London , 12 February, 1918. He returned to Australia on 19 August, 1919. He acted as Governor in Broome for some years. He is also said to have kept 17 pairs of white shoes, so he could change them whenever they got dirty! He also had a pet tortoise at the Residency. He led the expedition to retrieve Charles Kingsford-Smith's plane and crew in the 1929 'Coffee Royal' affair. He retired from military service in 1932 with the rank of Colonel.