Fifteen-year-old William Carswell arrived in Sydney from Scotland with his family in 1910.
On 14 June 1915 The Sydney Morning Herald reported
Pte. W. M. Carswell, who has been wounded, is well known in Enmore and Petersham. He is a compulsory trainee of the 1894 quota, and received his cadet training in G Coy., 36th Batt., Senior Cadets, Petersham. In July, 1912, he was transferred with the first batch of trainees to the Citizen Forces to H Coy, 33rd Infantry, under the command of the late Captain Concannon. He remained in this company till the war broke out, and during that time gained the reputation of being one of the best shots in the regiment. Last August he volunteered with about 50 other members of the regiment, who were placed under the command of the late Capt. Macquire, C Coy., 1st Batt. While stationed in Egypt he had the honour of defeating Major Dawson, the well-known Australian Bisley representative, in a match fired at a range constructed by our troops in the desert. For this performance he was picked to represent Australia in a team captained by Major Dawson against the British and Indian troops stationed in Egypt. He is a keen follower of soccer football, and has played in many matches with the Petersham Continuation School and the Burns Club teams.
The wound Private Carswell received in Gallipoli was to the forearm. He was also hospitalised with dysentery. By 1917 he had been transferred to England where he was promoted and became a shooting instructor. On 19 March 1918 he was gassed in France which ended his war. He embarked for return to Sydney 6 June 1918.
In a sad coda, on 8 February 1923 Sydney’s The Sun reportedÂ
BODY ON ROCKS. The body of William Carswell, aged 28, cabinet maker, of Cavendish-street, Stanmore, was found on the rocks at Taylor Bay, Mosman, yesterday. It had apparently been in the water for some days. In one of the pockets was a Sunday paper dated February 4. Deceased was a returned soldier, and had suffered badly from gas poisoning. His health had been indifferent for some time. There were no marks of violence on the body. In Carswell’s room was found an envelope addressed to a girl to whom he was engaged. It contained £6 in notes, and a fountain pen.