Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Hugh Joseph Simpson Wellcoat was born in Kensington, Victoria around the 5th of July 1889, to Mrs. Emmeline Wellcoat and Mr. Robert Wellcoat. He may have had a brother called Robert. He worked as a Stock Musterer, rounding up cattle or sheep, most likely on a cattle farm in NSW. At the time of his enlistment, he was living on Crystal Street, Broken Hill, NSW. He was also single. His religious denomination was Presbyterian, quite a common denomination at the time.

Hugh Joseph Simpson Wellcoat enlisted in the AIF on the 5th of September 1914 at the age of 25. He travelled to Morphettville, South Australia in order to enlist. Hugh Joseph Simpson Wellcoat fit the required standards for enlistment.He was 5’’7 and had a healthy weight measurement.

His unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on board Transport A11 Ascanius on the 20th of October 1914.  Hugh Joseph Simpson Wellcoat disembarked in Alexandria on the 6th of December 1914.

After disembarking, the troops were moved into training camps around Cairo. Training was hard work, eight hours of training for six days a week, working on drills and manoeuvres. While in Egypt, the AIF and New Zealand Expeditionary Force combined into the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).

He began his experience in battle as part of the Gallipoli campaign, taken on strength there 7th May 1915. In Gallipoli, Wellcoat caught Influenza, the first time of many, and was sent to hospital. His many bouts of influenza were most likely caused by the damp, cold conditions of the trenches. 

He later transferred to Mex Fort in Alexandria, a location of one of Australia’s soldier training camps. After the ineffective Gallipoli campaign, Alexandria became one of the most important hospital centres throughout the rest of World War I. Army diaries describe Mex Camp as having insufficient water and very poor sanitation. Dusty conditions would make it difficult to train in. On the 3/11/15, Wellcoat was transferred on strength to Maadi, a suburb of Cairo in Egypt. Maadi Camp was home of the Australian Light Horse Brigades.

On the 26/3/1916, he disembarked from Alexandria and arrived in Marseilles, France on the 2/4/1916. Whilst serving on the Western Front as a driver for the field ambulance, he was kicked in the head by a mule on the 9/6/1916. On the 15/6/1918 Wellcoat was promoted to Lance Corporal. 

 He reembarked for Australia on the 8/10/1918 and was officially discharged on the 31/1/1919. 

Little is known about Wellcoat’s post-war life. Before his death, he married and had three children: Agnes, Hugh and Patricia.

Hugh Joseph Simpson Wellcoat passed away on the 31st of December 1931. He was 42 years old. He is was buried in the West Terrace AIF, Adelaide, Cemetery with his 10th Battalion patch on his grave.