Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

WW1 Service:
When Britain declared war on Germany on 4 Aug 1914, Empire countries such as Australia were automatically involved. Soon after this war began, on 19 Sep 1914, twenty-five year old Wilfred Ernest Hart enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Nana Glen, NSW. He is described as 5ft 8½ins tall, 168lbs in weight with fair complexion, grey etes and brown hair. His occupation is given as “sawmill hand” and his father, Ted, as his next-of-kin.
Wilfred was assigned to 1 Australian Reserve Park (10 Company ASC [Army Service Corps]) as a driver. By 20 Oct 1914, Wilfred Hart’s Unit was departing Melbourne on board the HMAT Armadale bound for King George's Sound, Albany, Western Australia. Here a convoy of ships assembled ready to transport the First Detachment of the Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces. The flotilla sailed on 1 Nov 1914, Albany being the last Australian port these troops saw before commencing their training in Egypt.
A bored Australian force, diverted to Egypt rather than the action they had sought at the European front, trained and waited there for many months. Countless tales are told about the antics of the Australian diggers during this waiting period in Egypt.
Finally the Gallipoli landing force was assembled in April 1915. Yet there were still more months of waiting for Wilfred Hart until on 7 Aug 1915 he embarked from Alexandria on board HT Cameronia for the Dardanelles (i.e. Gallipoli), no doubt a part of the reinforcements for casualties from the August Offensive which had commenced at the front the previous day. This offensive was very unsuccessful and casualties were high. Wilfred Hart served at the Gallipoli battlefront from early August until late September 1915, a period when disease was rampant caused by unrecovered bodies, extreme heat and a fly plague.
After 47 days service at the Gallipoli front Wilfred was medically evacuated from Galipolli on 23 Sep 1915, records saying he was suffering from “enteric” and then admitted to 17 General Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. On 31 Oct 1915 he was admitted to Enteric Hospital (a convalescent facility) at Port Said, Egypt. (NB Enteric = typhoid fever). In Nov 1915 he again fell ill in Borda and was hospitalised in Port Said. Diagnosed with malaria he was invalided to Australia for a three months change to give him a chance to recover.
Before returning to the Middle East Wilfred re-attested his army enlistment at Enoggera, Brisbane, Queensland so that he could join the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment. He returned to Egypt as part of the 15th Reinforcements, 2nd Australian Light Horse on HMAT Commonwealth in March 1916. After a short period with the 1st Training Regiment he took up duty with 2nd ALHR on 14 Jun 1916. Wilfred Hart served with 2 ALHR throughout its campaigns in the Middle-East from June 1916 until the conclusion of the war. He was promoted to Lance Corporal (10 Mar 1917), Sergeant (1 Feb 1918) and Staff Sergeant (20 Jun 1918). He had, however, apparently had recurring bouts of illness and was admitted to hospital in October 1918 and again diagnosed with malaria. Wilfred Hart left the Middle-East on 13 March 1919 and returned to Australia on the HMAT Ulimaroa where he was medically discharged from the army in Sep 1919.
During WW2 Wilfred Hart was again in the service of his country, this time as a Captain in 2 Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps based in Grafton.