The Waverley Amateur Radio Society will activate VK100ANZAC on Thursday 29OCT15 0000 UTC to Wednesday 04NOV15 2359 UTC.

In this activation, the Waverley Amateur Radio Society remembers one of its earliest club members, 16062 LCPL Daniel Williams, who served with the 1st Signals Squadron, ANZAC Mounted Division and the 2nd Signals Squadron, Australian Mounted Division from 1916 to 1919 in Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and Syria.

Daniel Williams was born in Birkenhead, England and lived in the Sydney suburb of Little Coogee, now Clovelly. Williams enlisted as a signaller in March 1916 and arrived in Egypt in December 1916, to train as a telephone operator and linesman with the Signal Squadron, Imperial Mounted Division, which later became 2nd Signals Squadron, Australian Mounted Division.

In December 1917, Williams was posted to 1st Signals Squadron, ANZAC Mounted Division, where he first saw action at the Battle of Jerusalem. Williams served through the remainder of the Palestine campaign including the battle of Jericho and into the campaign in Jordan, including the battles of Amman and Es Salt and in the Jordan Valley, where he was wounded by shell concussion in June After a period of recovery, Williams returned to the front and was posted to 2nd Signals Squadron, Australian Mounted Division in Syria on 26 October 1918, one day before the signing of the Armistice by the Ottomans, ending the war in the Middle East.

Daniel Williams returned to Australia in September 1919. Williams joined the then Waverley Amateur Radio Club, formed in January 1919, and was already a member when the club was issued its first experimental license, N249, in August 1920. The Waverley Amateur Radio Society remains the local amateur radio club for the City of Sydney, the inner west and the eastern suburbs. It is Australia’s oldest continually licensed amateur radio club, and celebrated the 95th anniversary of its first license in August 2015.

The Waverley Amateur Radio Society proudly remembers LCPL Daniel Williams, one of its founding members, and remembers all signallers who served in World War I.   The Waverley Amateur Radio Society’s VK100ANZAC activation from 29 October to 04 November falls between anniversary of the Armistice of 27 October 1918 which ended the war in the Middle East, and the Armistice of 11 November 1918 which ended the war on the Western Front.   The coming of peace paved the way for the foundation of the Waverley Amateur Radio Club, in January 1919.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Williams wearing his Returned From Active Service badge, with early members of the Waverley Amateur Radio Club in 1920.

2nd Signal Squadron, Australian Mounted Division, in Palestine.

 

A telephone operator/linesman, 2nd Signal Squadron, Australian Mounted Division, Palestine.