Private Aime Constant Verpillot was born on May 12th, 1891, in La Jonchise, Neuchatel, Switzerland. His family were of French descendant and travelled first to England before going to New Zealand, from which he travelled to Australia.
He arrived in Sydney on the 17th of September, 1912, at the age of 20. His application for citizenship was granted in mid-September, 1915. He lived at 15 Barracluff Avenue, Bondi, and listed his job as a scroll, or gate maker. He was educated at a public school in Switzerland and a Grammar School in Coventry, England. He never married, but lived with his parents, Charles Eugene and Berthe. He was described as 5’ 9 1/2” and having brown hair, a fair complexion, light brown eyes and called himself a Methodist.
He was enlisted into the 1st Battalion, 15th reinforcement, on the 6th of September, 1915, at Warwick Farm, NSW. He embarked for the war on the 8th of March, 1916, aboard HMAT A15 ‘Star of England’. He trained at both Egypt and the Western Front before being taken on by the 53rd Battalion at Tel el Kebir on the 10th of April, 1916. Show ‘Royal George’ He embarked at Alexandria aboard the ‘Royal George’ to join the British Expeditionary Force on the 19th of June, 1916, and disembarked at Marseilles, France, on the 28th of June.
He was reported missing in action on 19th of July, 1916. A year later, his identification disk was received from the Germans, with no other messages other than that the soldier was deceased, and declared killed in action on that fateful day, on the 24th of February, 1917. Multiple enquires were put into finding the location of the grave of Aime, but none ever succeeded. On the 8th of August, 1920, a statement was issued declaring that it was no longer possible to locate his final resting place.
A statement by one of the other soldiers, a Private Arthur McKell, of his battalion was issued on the 30th of December 1918. “[He was] Of B. Company. On 19th of July at Fleurbaix during general action, was killed by bullet, don’t know where hit. I saw his body on the field, in No Man’s Land, close to Lance Corporal E.A. [Edward Arthur] Hubbard, and J. [John] Larkin. We were taken Prisoners of War next day.”
Private Aime Constant Verpillot received 2 medals throughout his military career, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. He received the British War Medal, on the 25th of November, 1921, to signify his service in WW1, and the Victory Medal on the 29th of the same month because the Allies were victorious. Aime Constant Verpillot served on the front line for only 23 days.
