KIA

William was born at Clunes, VIC in 1877 to Henry Tregoning and Maria Walter.

William was a bootmaker in Bacchus Marsh, VIC when he enlisted at Ballarat in the AIF on the 17^th of January 1916, aged 40. He had previously served five years with the 3^rd Battalion. William was shortly promoted to Acting Corporal and assigned to the 14^th Reinforcements, 22^nd Battalion before he embarked aboard the HMAT A32 Themistocles in late July, disembarking at Plymouth, England in September.

In November 1916 William proceeded overseas to France and reverted to being a Private before joining his unit in early December. Later that month he was hospitalised with trench feet⁽¹⁾ and did not rejoin his unit until early April.

During the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt William was killed in action on the 5^th of May 1917. Also wounded that day was James Crook (also remembered in the Avenue) who reported:-

On the 3rd May 1917 Pte Tregoning was one of a party of carries for the 6th Bde who were carrying bombs to the front line at Bullecourt. I was wounded by a machine gun bullet and lay in a shell hole for a little time. I saw Pte Tregoning fall and supposed he was killed by a shell...
...I saw a shell burst among a party of seven or eight as far as I know only two of them came out...I asked after him. They said he was only wounded by the first shell, but another came and buried him in the shell hole

Red Cross Wounded and Missing

Private Andrews, 2111 of the 22^nd Battalion also wrote:-

...was in the same Bomb-carrying party and was carrying bombs when he saw him put same down and return to his own front line wounded apparently in the leg. Shortly after he himself [Andrews] was wounded and did not see him again.
He further states that the gunfiring was very heavy, which he would have to go through to reach his own line...

Red Cross Wounded and Missing

He is listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour, the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour, the Roll of Honour for the Bacchus Marsh ANA and the Roll of Honour of S^t. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Bacchus Marsh. He is also remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.

Notes

1. Wikipedia