WHEELDON Errol Ray

Errol Ray Wheeldon, known as Ray, was born in 1897 to of Ernest Norton Wheeldon and May Sophia (Tessier) at Frederickton, Macleay River in the registration district of Kempsey, New South Wales. The family moved firstly to the Darling Downs area of Queensland where Ray attended school at Glenwood in the Toowoomba district. In March 1909, Ernest Wheeldon selected 110 acres being Portion 83 Parish of Tewantin close to Mount Cooroy. Ray was occupied as a fruit grower. The Wheedon family were staunch supporters of the Methodist Church in Cooroy.

GYMPIE TIMES 29 Sept 1917
Ray E Wheeldon son of EN Wheeldon enlisted

Gympie Times 13 Oct 1917
Enlistments at Pomona since Aug
Rev J Bean
LP Burton Ringtail
TE Mark Cootharaba
J Hempsall Cootharaba
H Cobbin Cootharaba
EN (ER?) Wheeldon Cooroy
T Brown Kin Kin (J Brown? hard to read)

On 10 August 1917, Ray aged 20, applied to enlist in the AIF at Pomona. He proceeded to Enoggera for training and was allotted to 26th reinforcements 15 Battalion on 29 October. During his pre-embarkation leave, the local residents gathered at the Wheeldon family home at Mt Cooroy for a send-off for Ray at which he was presented with a handsome wrist watch.

Gympie Times 27 Oct 1917
Pte R Wheeldon son of EN Wheeldon given a send off by residents of Mt Cooroy. Home from camp before leaving for the front. Mr C Murdoch presided and presented the young soldier with a handsome wristwatch.

On 31 October 1917, Ray embarked for overseas on A14 HMAT 'Euripedes' from Sydney. He was hospitalised with measles on board the ship from 2nd to 18th December. He disembarked at Devonport on 26 December and proceeded to join 12th Training Battalion at Codford.

On 31 March 1918 Ray proceeded via Dover to France. On 4 April, he marched out to the Unit at Calais and Taken on Strength with 15 Battalion in the field on 17 April 1918. The 15th Battalion, in March and April, helped stop the German Spring Offensive and in July, encountered some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign at Hamel. Ray Wheeldon was killed in Action near Hamel on 5 July 1918. He was finally buried at Crucifix Corner Cemetery Villers-Bretonneux Plot X, Row B, Grave 4. Two cousins were also killed in 1918, Cuthbert known as Billy, and Alston. The family lost 3 men in just 5 months.

Ray was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. In a tribute to his son, Ernest Wheeldon wrote, 'He was firm religious student, a keen debater and took an active part in mutual improvement classes'. Ernest was active on the committee to erect the War Memorial Monument at Cooroy on which is inscribed the names of the Fallen.

AWM Roll of Honour 78

Cooroy Cenotaph, Memorial Triangle, Diamond Street, Cooroy

Cooroy District Honor Roll (Supreme Sacrifice), Cooroy Memorial Hall, Maple Street, Cooroy

Cooroy District Soldiers Poster - No 1 in Soldiers who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Shire of Noosa Roll of Honor, Shire Council Chambers, Pelican Street, Tewantin

Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honor Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour (this scroll was available for sale to the public after the war)(on scroll twice)

NAA Dossier; AWM Roll of Honour; Gympie Times 27 October 1917. Photos by kind permission of Betty Sutton, local historian in Cooroy. Information researched and supplied by Carol R edited by Betty.