1911
HEATH, Hans Eric Albert Thomas
| Service Numbers: | 3717, 3737 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Maylands, South Australia, 3 June 1895 |
| Home Town: | Golden Grove, Tea Tree Gully, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Magill, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Heart condition, Adelaide, South Australia, 8 September 1959, aged 64 years |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (General) Adelaide, South Australia Road 2, Path 28, Aspect W, Plot 5 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3717, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3717, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Malwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 2 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3717, 12th Infantry Battalion, RMS Malwa, Adelaide | |
| 3 Mar 1916: | Transferred Private, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 28 Jul 1916: | Wounded Private, 3717, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Injured by falling sandbags during trench assault training exercise involving artillery near Halloy, France. Admitted to 13th Aust. Field Ambulance at Wargnies, France then transferred to CCS in Amiens. | |
| 13 Apr 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3737, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 3717, 52nd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Hans Eric Albert Thomas Heath's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Kearney
Enlisted and served as Hans Erick Albert Thomas HEATH
Birth details
Name: Hans Eric Albert Thomas Heath
Birth Date: 3 Jun 1895
Birth Place: Maylands
Registration Place: Norwood, South Australia, Australia
Father: Albert Robert Heath
Mother: Magdalena Methea Nissen
Page Number: 54
Volume Number: 566
Biography contributed by Paul Lemar
Hans was the son of Albert Robert HEATH & Magdalena Mathea NISSEN and was born on the 3rd of June 1895 in Maylands, SA.
His parents were married on the 24th of December 1888 in St Paul’s Church, Adelaide, SA.
His father was the son of William HEATH & Martha ASHPOLE and was born on the 10th of December 1858 in Lavendon, Buckinghamshire, England. He had arrived in Melbourne on board the Cuzco on the 3rd of February 1883.
His mother was the daughter of Hans Christian NISSEN & Kristine Frederikke BOISEN and was born on the 3rd of July 1866 in Bevtoft, Hadersley, Denmark.
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Hans’s paternal uncle, Edward HEATH had arrived in South Australia on board the North on the 9th of September 1875, with his wife Annie nee PETERS and their 2 children Flora and William.
They first settled in Adelaide and then moved to Piccadilly where 5 more children were born.
By 1886 they had moved to Bugle Ranges, where their last child was born.
Two of these children; Han’s cousins, would also served in the Great War.
Sister Annie HEATH & Pte. Harold HEATH (129), 9th LHR – Died of wounds 3rd of June 1917.
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Hans was the third child born into the family of 6 children; 3 boys, 3 girls.
His father was a boot maker in Stepney and Hans’s younger siblings were born in Stepney.
In the late 1890’s the Heath family moved to Bugle Ranges where his father gained work as a boot maker around the Macclesfield area and Hans and his siblings first attended the Bugle Ranges School in 1900 with their paternal HEATH cousins.
His sister Ivy Vera was born in Bugle Ranges on the 10th of September 1900.
His aunt & uncle MOSS with their five children had moved to Bugle Ranges around the same time and the following year his maternal MOSS cousins also attended the little school.
Three of these MOSS cousins would also enlist into the Great War, with 2 serving overseas; Stanley (2636) & Leonard (2638). Sadly too Stanley would lose his life at Lijssenthoek on the 26th of September 1917.
By 1903 they had moved to Magill and Hans was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital for 8 days suffering from Trachoma (disease of the eye).
In 1908 his parents purchased Section 5464, Hundred of Yatala, containing 50 acres and went into dairy farming in the Golden Grove area.
Whilst at school Hans joined the Senior Cadets and after leaving school he gained employment as a labourer.
When he aged out of the Cadets he transferred to the 79th Infantry Battalion, F Company in 1913.
At the age of 20, Hans enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 24th of August 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3737 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion at Exhibition Camp (Jubilee Oval). On the 1st of September he was posted to the 12th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.
On the 20th of October 1915 a farewell evening was held for Hans in Golden Grove and the residence presented him with a wristlet watch.
He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT RMS Malwa on the 2nd of December 1915, disembarking in Egypt and following further training at the 3rd Training Battalion in Zeitoun, Hans was posted to the newly raised 52nd Battalion on the 3rd of March 1916 in Tel el Kebir.
Hans served on the Western Front before suffering from severe Rheumatism and invalided back to Australia on the 12th of November 1916. He disembarking in Melbourne on the 31st of December 1916 and entrained to Adelaide, where he was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 13th of April 1917
Hans married Blanche Louise SMERDON on the 5th of October 1925 in St Luke’s Church, Whitmore Square, Adelaide.
Blanche was the daughter of Thomas SMERDON & Jessie Ann LUSCOMBE and was born on the 11th of September 1895 in Mile End, SA.
They welcomed their first child; Alwyn Smerdon on the 1st of June 1926 followed by Robert Boysen on the 14th of October 1927 and then Dorothy Louise on the 2nd of October 1929.
When Blanche’s father died in 1929 the Smerdon family home at 54 Hughes Street, Mile End was transferred to Blanche and they remained here for the rest of their lives.
Trevor John was then born in 1932, followed by Jennifer May on the 28th of February 1938 and Brian Thomas on the 1st of June 1939.
Colin Bernard was then born on the 20th August 1942 and they also had Phyllis Lorraine and another daughter.
Hans was a member of the Thebarton RSL Sub-Branch
Sadly, at the age of 18, their son Alwyn drowned in the Murray River at Murray Bridge on Sunday the 1st of April 1945.
He had been camping with friends and had gone for a swim and got into difficulties. It is thought he became entangled in a snag. They buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery on the 8th of April; Road 2, Path 28, Aspect W, Plot 5.
Hans died on the 8th of September 1959 and was buried the following day in the West Terrace Cemetery; Road 2, Path 28, Aspect W, Plot 5, with his son Alwyn.
Blanche died on the 7th of January 1966
Military
At the age of 20, Hans enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 24th of August 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3737 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battaion at Exhibition Camp (Jubilee Oval).
He listed his mother, of Golden Grove, as his next of kin.
On the 1st of September he was posted to the 12th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.
He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT RMS Malwa on the 2nd of December 1915, disembarking in Egypt.
Following further training at the 3rd Training Battalion in Zeitoun, Hans was posted to the newly raised 52nd Battalion on the 3rd of March 1916 in Tel el Kebir
The 52nd Battalion was raised at Tel el Kebir in Egypt on the 1st of March 1916 as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were veterans from the 12th Battalion, and the other half, fresh reinforcements from Australia.
It became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.
On the 31st of March they commenced a routine march with the destination being Serapeum. After 14 miles they arrived at Mahsama where they rested for the night. The following day they marched for 16 miles and arrived in Moascar and after another 14 mile march the following day, they reached their destination on the 2nd of April.
They spent all of April and May in training at Serapeum.
On the 4th of June they marched to Serapeum Sidings and entrained for Al Kabary with 28 officers and 970 other ranks.
They arrived at Al Kabary at 8am the following day, boarded HMT Ivernia, and embarked for Marseilles on the 6th of June at 9am, in the company of escort torpedo destroyers.
They arrived at Marseilles at 1pm on the 11th, disembarked the following day and then entrained on the 13th for Sailly and relieved the 8th Battalion on the 19th in the Petillion Sector
They remained here until the 11th of July when they were relieved by the 58th Battalion.
They moved onto Bailleul two days later and entrained to Candas before marching to Canaples and onto Halloy les Pernois, arriving on the 15th.
Whilst they were here they underwent further training and on the 28th of July Hans was admitted to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, suffering from Rheumatism.
Two days later he was transferred and admitted into the 1st NZ Stationary Hospital in Amiens on the 30th.
He was then transferred to Rouen on the 1st of August and admitted into the 1st Australian General Hospital.
Han’s Rheumatism was so severe that he was invalided to England on the 6th and admitted into the 3rd London General in Wandsworth the following day and further diagnosed with Myalgia.
After 7 weeks here he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 27th of September.
Hans embarked invalided to Australia from Portland on the 12th of November 1916 on board HT Wiltshire.
He disembarking in Melbourne on the 31st of December 1916 and entrained to Adelaide.
Hans was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 13th of April 1917
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