William Walker Russell Watson CB CMG (1875 - 1924)

Biography

William Walker Russell Watson CB CBE was an Australian soldier, dentist and company director.

William Walker Russell Watson was born on 19th May 1875 in Balmain, New South Wales (Australia). Russell, as he was known, was the son of New South Wales-born parents William George Watson, a surgeon, and his wife Emily Jane, née Walker.

Educated at Sydney Boys' High School (where he was a cadet bugler) and the University of Sydney, Russell entered the dental profession. He joined the New South Wales Scottish Rifles and in 1896 was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, New South Wales Volunteer Infantry.

Promoted to Lieutenant, Russell served in the New South Wales Mounted Rifles in the Second Boer War. As a staff officer in the 2nd Imperial Mounted Infantry Corps, he was dispatched to demand the surrender of Pretoria; under heavy fire at Dainsfontein, he risked his life to rescue a wounded man. For his service in the Orange Free State, Cape Colony and the Transvaal, he was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to taday's Commendation for Gallantry, and promoted Captain. For his service in South Africa he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps.

In 1902 in London, he commanded the New South Wales detachment of the Australian Coronation Corps at the crowning of King Edward VII.

On 9th November 1904, in St Mark's Church of England (now Anglican Church), Darling Point, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, Russell married Minnie Sarah Hordern, daughter of Samuel Hordern and sister of (Sir) Samuel Hordern. ^[1] The couple were to remain childless.

Russell was promoted Major in 1905 and Lieutenant Colonel in 1912.

Russell was appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), raised in August 1914 to seize German Pacific territories. Virtually unopposed, by December his troops had secured New Britain, New Guinea, New Ireland, Nauru, and the Admiralty and Solomon Islands. In January 1915 he returned to Australia with AN&MF Commander Colonel William Holmes, whereupon both transferred to the Australian Imperial Force.

On 16th March 1915 Russell took command of the 24th Infantry Battalion, and reached Gallipoli on 5th September. As his brigade commander,Colonel Richard Linton, had died at sea after a troopship had been torpedoed, Russell temporarily commanded the 6th Brigade for its landing. On the night of 10-11th September the 24th Battalion took over positions at Lone Pine. In addition to hardship caused by the onset of cold weather, they suffered casualties from suffocation in the shallow tunnels and dug-outs when the Turks bombarded them in November. During the evacuation of Gallipoli in December, Russell successfully commanded the 6th Brigade rear parties. For his service on the peninsula he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and again Mentioned in Despatches.

In March 1916 the 24th Infantry Battalion sailed for France and in April moved into the line at Fleurbaix. Near Albert, on the night of 7-8th August a shell burst in an old gun-pit occupied by battalion headquarters; Russell was the sole survivor. Admitted to hospital with shell-shock, he resumed command on 12th October. He took charge of the 2nd Division Training School in November. In May 1917 he resumed command of the 24th Battalion, but in July returned to England where he had charge of the 17th Brigade. In September he was appointed commandant of the Overseas Training Depot near Warminster, where he re-wrote standing orders and introduced more effective training programmes. He was promoted Colonel on 1st June 1918. In December he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). In January 1919 he became commander of the AIF depot at Sutton Veny. For his war service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

From April until July 1919 Russell took special leave to participate in the AIF's non-military employment scheme and was involved in the manufacture of cardboard at Anthony Hordern & Sons in London. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in December. He embarked for Australia in September.

After demobilisation he was appointed chairman of directors of Cumberland Paper Board Mills Ltd. He became a member of the New South Wales Club and the National Club, and of the National Party.

Aged 49 years, he passed away of septicaemia on 30th June 1924 in Sydney and is buried in South Head Cemetery, Vaucluse.

Biographer, R Sutton, wrote of Russell, "Typical of the better AIF commanders, he was respected by his troops; he was intensely loyal to them, but would not tolerate those who sought to evade their responsibilities."

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #10348/1904; registered at Woollahra

• Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167749243/william-walker_russell-watson

See also

• Sutton, R. 'Watson, William Walker Russell (1875–1924)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1990; accessed online 16 Feb 2023.