Corporal 1187 Military Medal

22nd Battalion

St Arnaud

His father, Theodore John Tourrier of 240 Bakers Rd Hawthorn

Melbourne 14/7/1915

Age 30 years and 6 months, 5'9", 11 stone 8 pounds, yellowish eyes and black hair

Church of England

Carpenter and farmer

He was missing in action at Broodseinde Ridge Belgium to have died on that date at a Court of Enquiry

He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial Ypres

He farmed at Stony Creek


Military History

He is on the Grassy Spur and Meeniyan Honour Rolls
14/7/15 He enlisted in Melbourne
26/10/15 He embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Hawkes Bay
He started in the 6th reinforcement 13th light horse
14/3/16 He transferred to the Cyclist Corps of the 2nd Division in the Canal Zone Egypt
19/3/16 He joined the British Expeditionary Force and embarked from Alexandria
30/3/16 He disembarked Marseilles
15/4/16 He had tonsillitis at Port Romper
16 /4/16 He was appointed to the 1st Anzac Cyclists Battalion in the 2nd Division at Croix du Bac
12 /5/16 He went to the 1st Anzac Cycling Battalion
23/6/16 He was sick and admitted to a number of hospitals
In August he was transferred to the 22nd Battalion
1/2/17 He was appointed a Lance Corporal
2/5/17 He suffered a head wound in action and went to Rouen.
23/5/17.He was discharged from hospital
12/6/17 He was awarded the Military Medal
29/9/17 He became a Corporal
9/10/17 He was reported wounded and missing.
5/5/18 There was a Court of Inquiry into his death
1/9/18 He was officially declared to have died on 9/10/17
His Mother Hannah Louise received a pension of 14/- per fortnight

Decorations

Lance Corporal W Tourrier was awarded the Military Medal for bravery and devotion to duty at Bullecourt. His Lewis gun was the only one to reach the objective. Lance Corporal Tourrier brought it back and every man in his team was wounded. A bullet pierced his helmet and caused a scalp wound. For his bravery he was personally complimented by his major.

Lance Corporal Tourrier relinquished farming at Stony Creek South Gippsland to enlist in July 1915. In October he left Australia for Egypt with the 13th Light Horse. He arrived in France in March 1916 and was transferred to a machine gun section. His brother Theodore also served in France.