Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Life Before the War:

Michael Joseph Heffernan was born in Killucan, County Westmeath, Ireland in 1889. He migrated to Australia as a single man at a young age in 1907/1908. Before enlisting he worked as a porter at South Australian railways. He was a farm boy, his family having run a farm in Ireland. Family history records that he was involved in competitive sport in Ireland, playing for the local hurling team. He was a relatively small man standing at 5'8" and weighing 69 kilograms at the time he enlisted.

Life in Service:

Michael joined the AIF on the 15th of February 1916 and was then assigned to the 11th Unit Australian Field Ambulance which was formed approximately a fortnight later. He was designated to work as a stretcher bearer. This was probably because he worked as a railway porter. At the time, he was living at the address of 27 Hackney road, St Peters, South Australia. He embarked for service from Adelaide on the 31st of May 1916 on the HMAT A29 Suevic. After arriving in England, they spent four months training at Lark Hill Camp on Salisbury Plain. When his unit arrived in France, they were immediately sent to the front line which involved a three-day train journey and a two-and-a-half-day march to the Divisional Rest Station at Steenwerck. They operated in support of the third Australian division of the AIF. Their duties included running medical posts, aid stations and Advanced Dressing Stations.

Michael was wounded in Belgium, on the first day of The Battle of Messines (7th of June 1917). He was wounded in action, sustaining a gunshot wound in his left shoulder. He was one of 21 wounded from the 11th field ambulance on that day. The Battle of Messines commenced in the early hours of the seventh of June at about 3:00 in the morning when 19 mines were exploded underneath the German front lines. This event is depicted in the Australian movie “Beneath Hill 60”. They were ordered to support the third division during the battle of Messines. Their official unit diary says that they ran the advanced dressing station “Charing Cross” which is near Ploegsteert. The diary records that the advanced dressing station was in the area bombed by gas shells and high explosives. The stretcher bearers had to work wearing gas masks and they also had to carry the wounded for at least 2 miles (3.2 km) over ground that was termed ‘shell-churned’ and ‘trackless’ to the advanced dressing station. Over the course of The Battle of Messines the 11th field ambulance suffered 37 casualties including two people killed. In the first 24 hours of the battle Charing Cross had 1156 casualties pass through. In the first week of the battle the it had just over 3000 casualties pass through. In total The Battle of Messines cost the British empire forces 25,000 men and the German forces 26,000.

On the day he was injured, Michael was first admitted to the 9th field ambulance. He was transferred multiple times to different stations until finally on the 25th of June he embarked from a city on the north coast of France, Boulogne, on the HS (Hospital Ship) ‘Newhaven’. From there he was moved to the Kitchener Military Hospital located in Brighton. Australian surgeons initially wanted to amputate his arm, but an English doctor decided that it could be saved. Later in life he stated that the doctor was the only decent Englishman that he had ever met. He also suffered the effects of a minor inhalation of mustard gas in battle. Following a stint of rebelliousness on the 22nd of September 1917, he was found guilty of absence without leave whilst recuperating from his injury in England and was confined to barracks without pay for a total of 11 days. Family history records that he was AWL because he went to visit family in Ireland. This could have been difficult given the Easter Uprising had occurred in the previous year, and he was wearing the uniform of an Imperial soldier. He ultimately arrived back home on the 21st of November 1919 and was finally discharged on the 14th of January 1920.

Life After The War:

After the War, Michael returned to Australia and worked for the South Australian Railways. Michael married Ellen Walsh in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, in 1920. They owned a house in Evandale and to supplement his income with the railways he purchased part of his next-door neighbour's block and ran a small dairy business in the backyard. In 1936 Michael's Wife, Ellen, died of pneumonia leaving him with 4 children. Michael later married Cecilia. Michael signed up for home service in World War 2 (1939 -1945). He was a member of the 4th Garrison Battalion based at Loveday in the Riverland of South Australia. His role was to guard Internees, POW's and Bridges in the Riverland. He was one of many former World War 1 people who served their Country during World War 2 on home soil. He died in Adelaide, South Australia, on 24 February 1973 at the age of 84 years. Family history records that his left arm was incapacitated for the rest of his life and that he probably had some symptoms of what today is referred to as PTSD.