Oscar William Bisguard OWRE

Regimental number2573
Place of birthBarossa South Australia
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationMotorman
Address28 Stafford Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation25
Next of kinSister, Miss Matilda Owre, 28 Stafford Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Enlistment date1 June 1915
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name12th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/29/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT Morea on 26 August 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll52nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 03-4 September 1916
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsAustralian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
156
Medals

Military Medal

'On the 11th August, 1916, at the CHALK PIT near POZIERES an enemy H.E. shell burst in the Brigade Dump of ammunition, timber, etc. setting a light to it, and causing flare lights and bombs to explode, which they did continuously. The bursting bombs were sending flying pieces in every direction wounding several men. One of these was lying helpless quite close to the fire and in the midst of the exploding ammunition Private OWRE rushed in and with the help of another man carried one of the wounded men out to safety. He then returned through the bursting bombs and flying pieces and rescued a second wounded man who was partially buried by portion of the Dump and quite close to the conflagration, bearing him out of danger and to the nearest Aid Post.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 62
Date: 19 April 1917

Cross of St. George - 3rd Class (Russia)


Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 116
Date: 25 July 1917