Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

15/01/1916

Date of Discharge

26/06/1918

Place of Enlistment

Goulburn NSW

Gender

Male

Place of Birth

Braidwood NSW

Address (at enlistment)

Brickworks (Yarralumla), Canberra ACT

Occupation

Labourer

Next of Kin

William Henry Stalker (father), Jembaicumbene via Braidwood NSW

Service Number

2243

Final Rank

Private

Final Unit

55 Battalion AIF

Braidwood War Memorial

Stalker came from Jembaicumbene between Braidwood and Majors Creek. He worked at the Federal Brickworks in Canberra from at least 1914 up to when he enlisted as his name appears as a member of the Brickbats cricket team and as the winner of the 440 yards foot race at the Canberra sports carnival in November 1915. He seems to have enlisted with two of his brothers, Cecil and Ray, possibly during the Men from Snowy River route march in January 1916, and they all served in the 55th Battalion. Three other Stalker brothers reportedly enlisted as well.

Stalker joined the 55th Battalion at the front in February 1917 near Flers in France. During the next few months his unit captured the village of Doignies on the road between Bapaume and Cambrai in April 1917 and were part of the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917. Stalker was sent to the army sniper school in June and July 1917 and was with his unit in Belgium in September 1917. As the 55th Battalion were preparing for the Battle of Polygon Wood, Stalker was gassed and evacuated to England. He suffered from 'dilation of the heart' and returned to Australia in February 1918. Stalker died at Goulburn Base Hospital on 16 December 1962 aged 70 years.

Description - height 6 feet ½ inch, weight 155 pounds, chest 35-38 pounds, fair complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, Church of England.

AWM Embarkation Roll
Queanbeyan Age - 3 November 1914, 26 March 1915 1915, 23 November 1915, 20 June 1916
Goulburn Post - 17 December 1962
Sydney Mail - 20 June 1917
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Stories from the ACT Memorial, 'The Men from Snowy River', ACT Heritage Library www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/stories_from_the_act_memorial