HITCHEN, William Thomas
| Service Number: | 1677 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 October 1915, Member of Gilgandra Cooee march |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, 19 February 1864 |
| Home Town: | Gilgandra, Gilgandra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Plumber |
| Died: | Melanotic sarcoma, Australian Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom, 3 September 1916, aged 52 years |
| Cemetery: |
Harefield (St. Mary) Churchyard, Middlesex, United Kingdom Aust. 6 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Baulkham Hills William Thompson Masonic School War Memorial, Gilgandra Coo-ee March Gallery, Gilgandra District Roll of Honor, Gilgandra Hitchen Mural, Gilgandra NSW 100th Anniversary of The Cooee March, Gilgandra War Memorial, Sydney United Grand Lodge Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1677, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Member of Gilgandra Cooee march | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1677, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 14 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1677, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of George and Catherine HITCHEN; husband of E. HITCHEN, Bridge Street, Gilgandra, New South Wales
William T (Captain Bill) Hitchen was the leader of the Coo-ees and was one of the main organisers along with his brother Richard.
Bill Hitchen had been the Captain of the Gilgandra Rifle Club.
His regimental number was 1677: born at Mudgee. He lowered his real age of 51 years to 44 years 2 months and said his occupation was plumber, with no former military experience.
William marched with the Coo-ees to Sydney but afterwards remained in Bathurst to help organise the Kookaburra Recruitment March from Tooraweenah to Bathurst.
Hitchen had also assisted with the Kookaburra March in January 1916 from Tooraweenah. Places they marched through included Mendooran, Dunedoo, Gulgong and Mudgee.
By the time the Kookaburras reached Bathurst the group included 100 volunteers. They were led by Lieutenant Middenway and David Hugh Spring of Gulgong.
Committees were formed and made sure preparations were in hand to feed and house the marchers.
He embarked from Sydney on the HMAT Ceramic on April 14, 1916 and arrived in Plymouth via Egypt on June 16 on the transport Franconia. William had reported sick with tonsillitis while aboard the Franconia and was admitted to hospital from the ship on June 16, 1916. He gradually grew weaker and died on September 3, 1916 in Harefield Hospital. He was buried in the St Marys Churchyard, Harefield with full military honours. The schoolchildren of Harefield place flowers on the graves annually.
William and his brother Richard organised the Coo-ee March. His 14 year old son, Cob, and a friend accompanied them as scout dispatch riders and buglers. His older son, William James Hitchen had enlisted earlier and was overseas by the time the march arrived in Sydney. Bill, as he was known, was recalled from the Western Front to spend time with his father before he died.
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