Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

10/08/1940

Place of Enlistment

Canberra ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

05/05/1916

Place of Birth

Yass NSW

Address (at enlistment)

17 Jay Street, Ainslie, Canberra ACT

Occupation

Bus driver

Next of Kin

Son of William John and Marcella Worthy; husband of Joyce Mary Worthy, of Ebden Street, Ainslie (1941), and later of 17 Jay Street, Ainslie, Canberra ACT. Twin brother of NX83956 Corporal Leslie Charles Worthy AIF, who died 31 March 1942.

Burial Place

Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea: grave B8.F17. (Soputa War Cemetery, grave V.A.16 on AWM Roll of Honour circular).

Service Number

N43866

Final Rank

Corporal

Final Unit

3 Infantry Battalion

Died 26 November 1942 aged 26 years, killed in action in Papua.

AWM Roll of Honour, Canberra ACT: Panel 64.
St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Reid, Book of Remembrance of Canberra parishioners who died in the war of 1939-45, in recess in south wall of nave.

Died on 26 November 1942 aged 26 years, killed in action at Gona in Papua. Bill Worthy and his twin brother Les were bus drivers with the Transport Section of the Department of Interior. Les died of illness in training camp in March 1942. Both were cricketers with Hall and Ainslie and Bill represented Canberra at Country Week.

Worthy served with 3 Battalion and arrived in Port Moresby in May 1942. On 5 September 1942 they entered the Kokoda Track and took part in the Australian defence at Imita Ridge and Ioribaiwa. Thereafter 3 Battalion patrolled forward through Menari, Efogi and Templeton's Crossing where particularly bitter fighting took place. Their final battle in the Kokoda campaign was at Oivi in November 1942.   A few weeks later 3 Battalion was part of the Australian force facing the Japanese stronghold at Gona on the northern coast of Papua where Worthy was killed in action on 26 November 1942. His wife learned of his death after receiving a card left under her door telling her a telegram was waiting for her at the post office. She had to walk two miles to collect the notice.

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. World War 2 nominal roll. <http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/>
Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Debt of Honour Register. <http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search/>
Don Mountain ed. Monumental inscriptions: Australian Capital Territory, including Jervis Bay. Canberra, Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra, 2001 (p.41)
ACT Electoral Roll - 1941
The Canberra Times - 14 December 1942, 15 December 1942, 23 December 1942
Colin Kennedy, 'Port Moresby to Gona Beach. 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1942', 1992