William James Tunzi was born on November 23, 1916, to George Richard Tunzi (born 1883) and Winifred Ann Gleeson (died 1965).
Bill Tunzi was born in Bendigo (Vic.).

His siblings were:
• Phillip Lorenzo Tunzi (1905-1905);
• George Richard Tunzi (1906-1959), who married Ivy Mavis Bourke (1913-1989);
• Agnes Mary Tunzi (born 1908), who married George Alexander McIlwain;
• Joseph Martin Tunzi (1910-1960), who married Betty Herman (died 1952); and
• Winifred Grace Tunzi (born 1913), who married Harry Evans.

Bill Tunzi’s early addresses included Tullamarine, from where he rode a bicycle as a teenager to McPhersons, where he became a fitter and turner.

Bill Tunzi’s remains are at Fawkner Cemetery, Melbourne.

Bill enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Royal Park on June 10, 1940, at age 23. His enlistment records incorrectly show his date of birth as November 23,
His occupation was listed as Bolt Maker.

As VX31148, he held the rank of Sapper. He was sent to the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment at Puckapunyal.
His father George Richard Tunzi’s address at the time was listed as 366 Johnston Rd,
Bill’s religion is listed as Roman Catholic.

Bill Tunzi was assigned to the 2/14th Infantry Battalion on September 24, 1940.
He embarked Sydney for the Middle East per the transport Auitania on October 19, 1940. They disembarked at the Suez on November 25, 1940, and to camp in Palestine.
Bill was assigned to the 2/2nd Ordinance Workshop Company on January 29, 1941 as a Driver Motor Transport.

This was followed by postings:
• To 2/3rd Ordinance Workshop Company. April 9, 1941.
• Mechanic, Motor Transport II. August 25, 1941.
• Fitter, Motor Transport. May 11, 1942.
• To 2/1st Army Field Workshops, June 17, 1942.

He was sent to North Africa and operations against the Germans and Italians including the El Alamein attacks.
Bill went to camp in Palestine in December, and embarked at Suez on January 29, 1943; disembarking in Sydney on February 28, 1943.
He was assigned to the 265th Light Aid Detachment, 5th Machine Gun Battalion on August 11, 1943; and embarked Cairns for Thursday Island per the transport Islander on September 24, 1943.

He was returned to the mainland, to Townsville, per transport Taroona, on July 6, 1944.
From there he went to the Royal Australian Engineers Depot at Wagga on October 5, 1944; and to the 2nd Port Construction Company, Kapooka, on November 21.
Hostilities continued against the Japanese into 1945.

Bill Tunzi’s military records include some colour:
• Failed to appear at a Place of Parade. November 6, 1940.
• Failed to appear at a Place of Parade. July 30, 1942. Fined 3/-.
• Sick. October 4-9, 1942.
• Sick with burns. 2/3rd Field Ambulance. October 15-19, 1942.
• Absent without leave. August 24, 1943.
• Absent without leave. December 15, 1944.
• Sick with finger injury. 2/5th Australian General Hospital. July 14-August 1, 1945.

Bill Tunzi embarked Brisbane for operations at Morotai, Borneo, against the Japanese, per the transport Sea Ray on June 15, 1945.
He returned to Australia on September 20, and was discharged on October 6.

Bill Tunzi was awarded:
• the 1939-45 Star,
• the Africa Star with 8th Army clasp,
• the Pacific Star,
• the Defence Medal,
• the War Medal, and
• the Australian Service Medal, 1939-45.

Upon his discharge, he returned to work at McPhersons, rising to the position of Supervisor.
He was married briefly to Alma Doris Tunzi, shown in the Australian Electoral Rolls as living at 21 Ascot St, Ascot Vale.
She is believed to have been born in 1916, the daughter of Andrew Quinan and Dora Neyland.

Records show her death at age 57 in 1973.
They had a daughter, Heather (now Mrs Chris Young).
Bill and Alma were divorced on September 16, 1950.

Bill Tunzi met Isobell Johnson when she was working as a nurse for the T & G Insurance company in
They met in the City, and Bill accompanied Isobell on a tram ride home from work to Coburg, where she was living with her grandmother.
Bill was living with his parents at Plenty Rd, Bundoora, but would travel to Coburg on Sundays to Isobell on walks around Coburg Lake.

They married at the Methodist Church, Alphington, on September 23, 1950, Their first address was at 35 Waterdale Rd, Ivanhoe; later Flat 7, 16 Churchill Ave., Ascot Vale; and then at 412 Station St, Lalor.
The family home was part of the Peter Lalor Home Building Co- Operative Society.

Two daughters were welcomed: Angela Maria Tunzi (later Bendall); and Fleur Marian Tunzi (later Long).

Bill was prominent in local community life, including helping to establish the Lalor Football Club. He was a Freemason.
Bill Tunzi died on June 12, 1966, following an angina attack at Whittlesea Golf Course, Humevale, aged just 49.

BILL TUNZI’s antecedents included:
• FILLIPO TUNZI and CATERINA BONETTI,
• their son GIUSEPPE TUNZI (1813-1888) married ANNA-MARIA POZZI (1813-1885);
• their son FILLIPO LORENZO TUNZI (1837-1917) married MARY ANN CURRY (died 1934);
• their son GEORGE RICHARD TUNZI (born 1883) married WINIFRED ANN GLEESON (died 1965).

BILL’s siblings had a number of children:
• GEORGE had a son GRAEME (born 1944);
• AGNES had a son RICHARD;
• JOE had sons JOE, JEFFREY and BILLY;
• WIN had 11 children: WINIFRED, JOHN, PATSY, JOSEPH, WILMA, ROSEMARY, MARTIN, CHARLES, LYNETTE, ANTHONY and PETER.