| Regimental number | 2173 |
| Place of birth | Bendigo, Victoria |
| School | Kotupna State School, Victoria |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Occupation | Farm labourer |
| Address | Kotupna via Nathalia, Victoria |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 35 |
| Height | 5' 6" |
| Weight | 140 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, Henry Julius Laphthorne, Kotupna via Nathalia, Victoria |
| Previous military service | Served in C Troop, A Squadron, 15th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time of AIF enlistment. |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Walhalla, Victoria |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 22nd Battalion, 4th Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/39/2 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A20 Hororata on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Lance Corporal |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 22nd Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Pozieres, Somme Sector, France |
| Age at death | 35 |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 35 |
| Place of burial | London Cemetery and Extension (Plot 8, Row C, Grave No 1), Longueval, Somme, France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 96 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Commemorated in Numurka Cemetery, Victoria. Parents: Henry and Jane LAPTHORNE |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Taken on strength, 22nd Bn, Tel el Kebir, 8 January 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 26 March 1916. Appointed Lance Corporal, 19 May 1916. Killed in action, 27 July 1916. Originally recorded as 'No known grave' and listed on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Brettoneux. Letter, Imperial War Graves Commission, to Australia House, London, 20 September 1936, that the discovery of an unknown soldier in the vicinity of Pozieres and the subsequent reburial of the remains uncovered an indentity disc that positively identified the grave to be that of 2173 LAPTHORNE. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, LAPTHORNE William Frederick |
Postal Address:
Po Box 7916
Canberra BC 2610, Australia
Street Address:
Northcott Drive,
Campbell, ACT 2600
