William Charles Oakes was born in Ballarat and was a Printer by trade when he enlisted in the May 1916 Reinforcements on 9 July 1915 at the age of 21. His previous military experience with the 18th Australian Army Medical Corps saw he was transferred to the Australian Army Medical Corps. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 4 May 1916. . In Late 1917 he was withdrawn from the line to spend two weeks at the 2nd Army Cookery School. On April 9th 1918 he fractured his collarbone although his service record does not record the cause. After the fighting ceased he returned to Australia as a member of the nursing staff on the Armagh, and disembarked at Melbourne on May 18th 1919.
Tree No. 1008