Private Douglas Kendall Watt
- Rank
- Private
- Appointment
- Trooper
- Service number
- 2828
- Unit
- 10 Light Horse Regiment
- Cause of death
- Died of Wounds
- Place of death
- French Hospital Damascus, Syria
- Date of death
- 8 October 1918
- Age
- 25
- Plaque number
- M232A
- Co-located plaques
- M232 - LCPL Reginald Watt
- Dedicated by
- Family on 16 November 2019
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Trooper Douglas Kendall Watt was born in 1893 at Hillgrove, New South Wales to Edwin and Sophia Watt. There were three other sons and a sister in the family.
One of the brothers, Reginald, also has a plaque in the park which is located next to Douglas’s. Tennyson and Edwin were the other brothers and they served with 14 Light Horse and returned to Australia at wars end.
In March 1902 the family moved to Kalgoorlie Western Australia, where Edwin worked as a metallurgist. The boys attended state school at Boulder, Western Australia.
Douglas married Amy Kitching in Perth in 1915 and they had a son Stanley in 1916.
Before Douglas enlisted they lived at Northampton where he worked as an accountant.
He enlisted in Perth in February 1917 and was posted to reinforcement for the Camel Corps.
After training Douglas embarked at Fremantle on HMAT Boorara bound for the Middle East and arrived at Suez in May 1917.
He was hospitalised in August at 14 Australian General Hospital at Abbassia before joining 1 Battalion of the Imperial Camel Corps and then was detached to brigade headquarters.
Douglas spent further time in hospital before joining 3 Training Regiment at Mosscar in July 1918. He then transferred to 10 Light Horse.
In October 1918 the regiment was involved in the liberation of Damascus where Douglas was wounded.
Trooper Douglas Kendall Watt, service number 2828 of 10 Light Horse, died of wounds on the 8 October 1918 at the French Hospital in Damascus. He was 25 years of age.
Douglas is buried at the British War Cemetery, Damascus, Syria.
His plaque is placed alongside his brother Lance Corporal Reginald Edwin Watt, of 28 Battalion.