ILETT, Herbert Frederick
| Service Number: | 3172 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 October 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Beeac, Victoria, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Warrion, Colac-Otway, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Dairy Farmer |
| Died: | Attributed to War Service, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, 24 March 1921 |
| Cemetery: |
Beeac Cemetery, Victoria PRES-01-02-080 |
| Memorials: | Beeac Presbyterian Church Honour Roll WWI, Colac Soldier's Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3172, 59th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 3172, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Dec 1916: | Embarked Private, 3172, 59th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Medic, Melbourne |
Help us honour Herbert Frederick Ilett's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Herbert Frederick Ilett was the son of Frederick James and Janet Ilett of Warrion, Victoria. Herbert’s father died when he was 13 years of age.
Herbert’s younger brother, 454 Pte. Ernest Campbell Ilett 8th Battalion AIF was killed in action at Krithia, Gallipoli on 8 May 1915, aged 19 years.
Herbert married Alice Gladys Bramley in November 1916, just after he had enlisted in October 1916. He arrived in England during February 1917 and was admitted to Tidworth hospital only two months later suffering from pneumonia.
His condition didn’t really improve much and he was diagnosed with nervous debility, and was stated to be ‘very tremulous’. He was recommended to returned to Australia as permanently unfit.
He was returned to Australia on 5 November 1917 and was discharged medically unfit four months later.
Herbert Frederick Ilett had two children, one born in 1918 and the other two years later. Herbert passed away in the military ward, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, on 21 March 1921, at 28 years of age.
The Melbourne Argus reported on 1 April 1921, “Thirty returned soldiers marched at the funeral of the late Mr. Herbert Ilett, A.I.F., on Saturday. Deceased was only 28 years of age, and leaves a widow and two children.” His wife Alice Gladys posted a death notice at the time, the last line simply saying, “A patient sufferer.”
His file has a notation stating, “21.3.21, Died from causes attributable to war service.”
His file also notes that in 1922 an application was made to London for the issue of a Scroll and Memorial Plaque. As he didn’t make it the battlefield his only other entitlement was a British War Medal.
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