William Henry Belpitt was originally buried under the name Belphitt, a mistake made by the undertaker William Metcalfe when recording the details in the burial register. The spelling of the Belpitt name has varied over the past hundred years; however, the current spelling, Belpitt, seems to be the most common. He was registered at birth as William H. Belpit. 

As a child, William was troubled and his difficulties appear to have begun following the death of his father in 1866. His mother remarried John Brown in 1868, later William and his brothers, John, James and Thomas, were placed in an institution as their mother could not be located. His stepfather, John Brown, was a seaman and frequently away from home. Eventually, their mother claimed the children, however William was left to roam the streets, leading to later encounters with the law. 

After serving time as an inmate on the youth training ship NSS Vernon in New South Wales due to his uncontrollable behavior and petty crime, William somehow made his way to Fremantle, Western Australia. There, he again got into trouble and served a term in Fremantle Gaol. Upon his release on November 16, 1878, it is believed he joined a ship's crew on a voyage to England and later joined the British Navy. Obviously not enjoying his time as a British Seaman he absconded and in his own words, he took "leg ball" before arriving in New York, where he joined the United States Navy in 1881, signing on for three years as an ordinary seaman on the USS Monocacy, a sidewheel gunboat tasked with patrolling the coasts of Japan, Korea, and China. He was later promoted to the rank of Petty Officer and served as Captain of the Afterguard, responsible for the starboard side of the quarter-deck, poop and starboard mizzen channels. After his initial enlistment, he re-enlisted in the US Navy for another three years. 

On October 7, 1884, while the USS Monocacy was anchored in Fuzhou (Foochow) Harbour in China, Belpitt observed a man who had fallen from his small boat into the water and was in danger of drowning. Without a thought for his own safety, Belpitt dived in and rescued the man, earning great cheers and applause from those who witnessed his heroic act. For his bravery, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The citation reads: "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain of the Afterguard William Henry Belpitt, United States Navy, for gallant and heroic conduct while serving on board the USS Monocacy, Foochow, China, on 7 October 1884. Jumping overboard from that vessel on the morning of this date, Captain of the Afterguard Belpitt sustained, until picked up, a Chinaman who had been thrown into the water by the capsizing of a canoe." 

After completing his service in the United States Navy, Belpitt returned to his hometown Sydney, Australia. On January 21, 1888, he married Minnie Gould at St. Mark's Church, Darling Point and settled into a maritime career. He was appointed by the government as Harbour Master - Harbour and River. He is also believed to have been on the staff of the training ship NSS Sobraon, a later replacement for the NSS Vernon and wrote a number of letters to the NSW Government condemning the abuse and brutality he had witnessed on this ship. 

In 1900 he volunteered for the 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles who were being recruited for the Anglo Boer War in South Africa. Frustrated by delays in sailing and after waiting for 4 months at Rookwood, he decided to pay his own way to the war and on arrival in July 1900 enlisted, appearing on the nominal roll of a number of local units. 

At the conclusion of the war he once again returned to Sydney where he frequently contributed to newspaper columns, discussing various subjects, including suggestions for entertaining the American Fleet during their visit in 1908. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald for an article titled "Life in the Navy - An Australian Who Served in America," he expressed his regret about leaving the US Navy, stating, "Life was much better in the US Navy than the British, where discipline was less strenuous and the pay better."

Minnie and William had only a single child, a son Charles William Belpitt who later served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War 1 with the 15th Field Ambulance in France, he survived the war. A cousin, Thomas Herbert Belpitt also served in France with the Australian Imperial Force and died of wounds received in battle on 26 July 1916. 

William Henry Belpitt died at the Rookwood Asylum in 1912, suffering from heart disease and chronic kidney disease and was later buried in an un-marked grave at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. 

On Saturday 11 October 2025, the grave and life of William was Commemorated in a moving ceremony that had been many months in the planning by the US Legion AU01 led by retired US Army Colonel Ken Studerus, the Warwick Group led by retired ADF Major Darryl Kelly, the Medal of Honor Historical Society and US Veteran Affairs. Great support was given to the Commemoration by many organisations and groups with both Australian and US connections and volunteers from both the North Ryde RSL and US Legion ensured the day was a great success by providing logistical support for the ceremony. Belpitt family descendants were in attendance on the day with representatives traveling from Western Australia and Tasmania to partake in proceedings. 

It is to be noted that the North Ryde RSL will soon provide a permanent display to honour the memory of one of their local sons. 

No longer does this hero rest in "A Bare Patch of Ground". 

Biography by Shane Dell (Warwick Group) 

Copyright 2025