S5147
FREEMAN, Herman Robert
| Service Number: | 3314 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Calmar, Sweden, 1871 |
| Home Town: | Mount Barker, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Terka, near Wilmington, South Australia, 26 April 1922, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Booleroo Centre Cemetery Plot 61 |
| Memorials: | Mount Barker Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 3314, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3314, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 3314, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 10 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 3314, 1st Pioneer Battalion | |
| 17 Jan 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, 3314, 1st Pioneer Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 3314, 1st Pioneer Battalion |
Help us honour Herman Robert Freeman's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Georgie Hodgson
· Herman Freeman Robert was born in Sweden.
· He had grey eyes, brown hair and fair skin.
· He was 5 feet and 7 inches tall and had a tattoo on his forearm.
· He was married and was occupied as a carpenter before he signed up for the army at age 44.
· He served in the army for a year and he never once completed a full day’s work. He couldn’t even use a pick or a shovel.
· He had senility and he had to return home.
Biography contributed by Paul Lemar
Herman was the son of Frans Fred FREEMAN and was born in 1871 in Calmer, Sweden.
Herman was a carpenter and arrived in South Australia in 1908 and made his way to Mt Barker.
Herman married Rosa May THOMPSON on the 28th of July 1913 in Adelaide.
Rosa was the daughter of Edward Henry THOMPSON & Annie LACEY and was born on the 28th of April 1889 in Ballarat, Victoria.
Her parents had married in 1882 in the Wesleyan Parsonage, Mt Barker and Rosy was the only child out of the family of 8 children to be born in Victoria.
Rosa had grown up in Mt Barker on Section 2799, Hundred of Macclesfield, which was located on the east corner of Hurling Drive & Sims Road and her father was a labourer.
Rosa and all her siblings attended the Wistow Public School.
At the age of 44, Herman enlisted into the AIF on the 23rd of July 1915 in Keswick, SA and was allotted the service number 3314 and later posted to the 10th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement.
On the 15th of October a meeting was held in the Mt Barker Institute to bid farewell and Godspeed to Herman and Private’s Woodland & Baker and they were presented with a knife, fork and spoon and also a pouch of tobacco.
Herman embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A24 Benalla on the 27th of October 1915, disembarking in Suez.
He served in France but suffered from debility and embarked for Australia on board HMAT Ajana on the 17th of October 1916, disembarking in Melbourne on the 5th of December and entrained to Adelaide.
Herman was discharged, medically unfit, due to defective vision, from the AIF on the 17th of January 1917 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory medal.
By March Herman and Rosy had moved to the Training Farm at Mt Remarkable.
*In 1915 the State compulsorily acquired Mount Remarkable for £142,000 under the Closer Settlement Act. It was subdivided and sold as 86 small farms over the next few years, but the homestead was retained for some years as the Mount Remarkable Training Farm, which provided instruction for returned soldier settlers.
On the 1st of June 1917 Herman was successful in obtaining a Soldier Settlement Block at Mt Remarkable.
It was located on Section 325, Hundred of Gregory.
This land was located on the north side of Whim Road, about 200 metres off the Horrocks Highway (about 6 kms north of Melrose).
On the 27th of August 1917, Rosa’s youngest brother Elder, enlisted into the AIF at the age of 19. He served with the 43rd Battalion (55901).
On the 21st of January 1921 Herman, while driving a team with a load of wheat out of a paddock, stepped down to attend to a portion of the harness while the horses were moving. Tripping, he fell and a wheel passed over one of his feet, crushing his toes severely. He was taken to the Booleroo Centre Hospital for treatment.
Herman died on the 26th of April 1922 and was buried 2 days later in the Booleroo Centre Cemetery; Plot 61.
The funeral director was W.H Dunstan and the Minister was Rev. Howland.
Military
At the age of 44, Herman enlisted into the AIF on the 23rd of July 1915 in Keswick, SA and was allotted the service number 3314 and posted to G Group, Base Infantry Depot at Exhibition Camp.
He listed his wife, of Mt Barker, as his next of kin.
On the 30th of July he was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital for eleven days, suffering from Pneumonia. A few days later Herman was transferred to A Company, 3rd Depot Battalion, at Mitcham Camp on the 16th of August and then to the 10th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement on the 1st of September.
Herman embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A24 Benalla on the 27th of October 1915, disembarking in Suez and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Aerodrome Camp in Cairo.
On the 31st of January 1916 Herman was admitted into the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Cairo suffering from back pain. He was discharged from hospital on the 15th of February and rejoined his Battalion on the 7th of March.
Ten days later Herman was transferred to the newly raised 1st Pioneer Battalion in Serapeum and embarked from Alexandrina on board HMAT Ballarat on the 26th of March at 7pm.
They arrived at Marseilles on the 1st of April and anchored in the harbour, disembarking the following day at 2pm.
They moved off the wharf at 3pm and marched to the railway station where they were entrained for an unknown destination at 5pm.
They then travelled north to Godewaersvelde and left their train on the 5th and bivouacked on the roadside close to the station.
The following day they proceeded to Rouge Croix and into their billets which were most insanitary and overcrowded.
They remained here in training until the 18th when they marched onto Sailly.
Whilst here on the 24th of April Herman suffered with septic sores and was admitted to the 1st Field Ambulance, then the 7th Casualty Clearing Station at Merville the following day.
Then on the 29th he was transferred by Ambulance Train to Le Havre and admitted into the 9th Stationary Hospital the following day.
After nearly four weeks here, he was discharged on the 23rd of May to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot (AIBD) in Etaples.
Herman then rejoined his Battalion on the 6th of June, who was still at Sailly and working on communication trenches.
Within three weeks he was suffering from Bronchitis, rheumatism and debility and was admitted into the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance on the 26th of June.
The following day he was transferred to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station at Chocques and then Ambulance Train the following day to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Wimereux.
On the 2nd of July he embarked for England and was admitted into the Bagthorpe Military Hospital in Nottingham, the following day.
After two weeks he was discharged on the 18th and granted 2 weeks furlough and then reported to No.2 Command Depot in Harefield. Due to his debility and age it was recommended that Herman be invalided back to Australia.
He never once completed a full day’s work and he couldn’t even use a pick or a shovel.
Herman embarked for Australia on board HMAT Ajana on the 17th of October 1916, disembarking in Melbourne on the 5th of December and entrained to Adelaide.
Herman was discharged, medically unfit, due to defective vision, from the AIF on the 17th of January 1917 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory medal.