Private William Martin Bucci
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- 4453
- Unit
- 11 Battalion
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Pozieres, France
- Date of death
- 25 July 1916
- Age
- 19
- Plaque number
- M371A
- Co-located plaques
- M371 - PTE Andrew Gray
- Dedicated by
- Niece on 18 May 2019
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private William Martin Bucci, or Bill as he was known to the family, was born in Gympie, Queensland to Martin and Rebecca Bucci and had four brothers and four sisters. It is not known when the family moved to Western Australia.
Bill attended Brown Hill state school in Kalgoorlie and became a good boxer and runner. On the introduction of the Universal Service Military Training Scheme, he served in the cadets at Kalgoorlie and Victoria Park and then with 38 Battery Field Artillery. On leaving school, he was employed as a stove fitter.
Bill enlisted in the AIF in October 1915 and in February 1916 left Fremantle on board HMAT Miltiades as part of 14 Reinforcements of 11 Battalion. He joined his battalion in France in June 1916.
In July 1916, 11 Battalion took part in the assault on Pozieres. This town was regarded by the Germans as a key position and they subjected it to one of the heaviest and most prolonged bombardments of the war. The battle was described by one participant as ‘death and destruction unforgettable’.
Private William Martin Bucci, service number 4453 of 11 Battalion, was killed in action at Pozieres on 25 July 1916. He was 19 years of age.
He was buried on the Pozieres battlefield by Reverend W Dexter, but the gravesite was lost.
His name is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, France.
His plaque is placed alongside Private Andrew Gray, who was in the same 11 Battalion and died on the same day.