William Joseph Rowett (SN 4583) born at Ballarat, was a 19 year old miner when he enlisted in Ballarat on October 6th 1915. Assigned to the 8th Infantry Battalion he embarked aboard the Themistocles on January 28th 1916. On arrival in Egypt, he was transferred to the newly formed 58th Battalion and then to the 5th Machine Gun Battalion with whom he served in France from August 1916. He avoided combat wounds but was constantly troubled by illnesses including a septic back, mumps and influenza. At the war’s end he returned to Australia aboard the Orontes, disembarked at Melbourne on June 28th 1919 and was discharged on August 22nd.