Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Some 30 of the 133 identified Auburn Memorial men served on the Gallipoli Peninsular for various periods, and 12 were battle casualties. The second last of the 12 was Private Bertie Clyde Willick, 26, a native of Granville and former student of Auburn Public School. Willick was a brother of C F Willick, the Deputy Mayor of Auburn and Chairman of the Auburn Recruiting Committee.
Willick had completed a six-year apprenticeship as a carriage builder with Ritchie Brothers of Auburn. He enlisted at Liverpool in February 1915 and embarked on the Themistocles in May 1915. He was killed in action on 28 August 1915, the month of the unsuccessful Lone Pine and Sari-Bair offensives against the Turkish positions. His body was never found. His name is inscribed on the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli.
In Willick’s service record is a neat, hand-written letter, dated November 1915, from the former Mayor of Auburn, William James Johnson. The letter asked his old colleague in the Federal Parliament, the Minister of Defence, Senator Pearce, if he could get any information on Willick's death, adding it would be much appreciated by Willick’s brother and his aged parents. Willick’s medals were sent to his father in Auburn.
Bertie Willick is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Auburn Public School First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Boys Public School Great War Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal 1914-20
- Victory Medal
- 1914-1915 Star
