William Arrais TOOP [7368]

  General Notes:

1892 SA Birth TOOP William Arrais, William TOOP Eliza Jane BRANFORD Frome 510/271


https://www.facebook.com/anzacdaycommemorationcommitteeqld/posts/410464585718641
Melinda Hayton to ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee of Queensland Incorporated 25 April 2013.
An extract from my grandfathers diary It is available from Amazon as an ebook called A Thousand Days of War - World War one by William Toop. it is an amazing read August 13, 1918 Went to Abbeville Rd and got a load of reinforcements for the 53rd and 54th Battalions. We waited and had a look at the Airfield. There were hundreds of English, Australian, Yank and French planes. We got our load of men and came back to Villers Bretonneux and went to Caix.
The road was all shell holes. We had to drive over 30 Germans who had not been buried, they had dried out to bones and dust. They had been dead for months. They were on top of a rise in No Man's Land. It would have been certain death to have gone to get them from either side.
There were heads and legs, the rest was ground to powder by retiring enemy and us advancing. I have done terrible things and seen terrible sights but this was the limit. Dust was over everything, the lorry, our clothes, blankets food and even our faces and hands were covered with a grey dust of ground up dead German bodies over everything.
We have had the smell of fresh dead, stale dead but this time we got ground up bodies and bones. The grey dust was sort of sticky, impossible to wash off without hot water and plenty of soap. We had a job to get soap or hot water. There were six lorries in our convoy, we all feel the same, very sick and sad. (Melinda Hayton, grand-daughter of William Toop)


The Advertiser Monday 4 August 1980
Death Notice:
TOOP, William Arrias (Bill), - On August 2, at Orroroo, loved husband of Ella Hilda and loved father of Eric William and Merle Hayton. At rest.
TOOP, William A. - At Orroroo Hospital, loved brother of Linda and Ray Avery. At rest. Peace at last.
Funeral Notice:
TOOP. - THE RELATIVES and FRIENDS of the late WILLIAM (Bill) TOOP are advised that his Funeral will leave from the Uniting Church, Orroroo, after a service commencing 11 a.m. THIS DAY, for the Orroroo Cemetery. ORROROO FUNERAL DIRECTORS. Phone 83 or 145.

The Advertiser Tuesday 5 August 1980
Death Notice:
TOOP, William Arrias (Bill). - On August 2, at Orroroo Hospital, loved father and father-inlaw of Eric and Sheila, loved grandpa of Bill and Carmen, Ian and Sue, Robyn and Jim, Donald and Helen and Anne and Jill, great-grandpa of Natasha, Danielle, Briony, Luke, Scott and Tara. Sadly missed. Now at peace.

Bill married Ella Hilda REICHSTEIN [8904] [MRIN: 3206], daughter of Paul Hermann REICHSTEIN [8920] and Anna Louise STAUDE [8921], on 9 Aug 1916 in Methodist Church, Booleroo, Whim. (Ella Hilda REICHSTEIN [8904] was born on 22 Jul 1899 in Yarrowie, South Australia, died on 5 Feb 1990 in Orroroo, South Australia and was buried on 7 Feb 1990 in Orroroo Cemetery, South Australia.)

  Marriage Notes:

1916 SA Marriage 268/319 TOOP William Arrais REICHSTEIN Ella Hilda Frome