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35th Battalion Private Serial Number: 2530 |
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Date/Place of Birth: 1880, Mudgee, NSW
Date/Place of Death: 12 October 1917, Passchendaele, Belgium
Biographical details: Cecil William Buckley was born in 1880 at Mudgee, the son of William Henry and Catherine (nee Jordon) Buckley. Cecil Buckley was educated at the Superior Public School Mudgee and completed his school at Penrith. On enlistment, Buckley was working as a farmer in the Merriwa district.
Service details: Buckley enlisted on 19 May 1916 at Merriwa and was allocated to A Company at the Newcastle Depot from 30 June 1916 until 5 July 1916. He was then allocated to the 5th reinforcements, 35th Battalion. Buckley left Sydney on 25 October 1916 aboard A11 HMAT Ascanius arriving in Devonport England on 28 December 1916. On arrival he was allocated to the 9th Training Battalion at Durrington. On 18 January 1917, Buckley was admitted to the Sutton Veny Hospital with bronchitis before being transferred to the Fargo Military Hospital on 13 February 1917. On 3 March 1917, Buckley returned to duty with the 9th Training Battalion. Buckley was hospitalised on the 4 May 1917 at the Tidworth Hospital and returned to duty 6 days later. On 23 July 1917, Buckley was posted to No 3 Australian Divisional Base Depot at Rouelles and on 8 August 1917, joined his unit which had been in the line near Ypres, Belgium since mid 1917. The 35th battalion’s next major battle was on 12 October near Passchendaele where the battalion had to wade through thick mud towards their objective. Buckley was posted as Missing in Action during this offensive which had proved costly for the 35th Battalion with only 90 of its members remaining unwounded at the end. According to an eyewitness Buckley was killed by a shell during an attack on the German positions. A court of inquiry convened on 15 May 1918 ruled that Buckley had been killed in action.
Memorial Details: Buckley is commemorated on Memorial Panel 122, 110 Toronto Avenue Cemetery Warneton, Belgium.