William Charles McDiarmid (SN 297) born at Ballarat, was a 21 year old labourer when he enlisted in Ballarat on August 17th 1914. With the 8th Infantry Battalion, he embarked aboard the Benalla on October 19th and sailed to Egypt before taking part in the Gallipoli landing on April 25th 1915. In August he suffered a shrapnel wound to his face and was evacuated to hospital at Malta and then England. He rejoined his unit in Egypt in March 1916 and two weeks later moved to France. In July he was wounded again, shell shock, and was again evacuated to England. In December 1917 he was wounded for a third time, gassed and was hospitalised in France until February 1918. Near the war’s end he was granted ‘special 1914 leave’ and returned to Australia aboard the Port Hacking. He disembarked at Melbourne on January 27th 1919 and was discharged on March 28th.

His brother John also served in the AIF and is honoured with a tree in the Avenue.