William Hurtle DRIVER

William Hurtle DRIVER Update Details

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DRIVER, William Hurtle

Service Number:	2125
Enlisted:	26 April 1915, Meridin, Perth
Last Rank:	Corporal
Last Unit:	51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born:	Summertown, South Australia, 19 December 1882
Home Town:	Summertown, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Schooling:	Uraidla Public School
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Killed in Action, Pozières, France, 3 September 1916, aged 33 years
Cemetery:	Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery Plot 2, Row M, Grave 22. William's name is located at panel 152 in the Commemorative Area at the AWM, Canberra , Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, Albert, Picardie, France
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Crafers WW1 Memorial, Summertown Cemetery Memorial Arch Gates, Uraidla & Districts Roll of Honour 1, Uraidla War Memorial

World War 1 Service

26 Apr 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Meridin, Perth
6 Jun 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2125, 11th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: ''
6 Jun 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2125, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Fremantle
7 Aug 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2125, 11th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
29 Feb 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2125, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
10 Jul 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2125, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle for Pozières
28 Aug 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 2125, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle for Pozières

Cpl William Hurtle Driver

From François Berthout

🌺🇦🇺Tonight I bow to pay a very respectful tribute to Corporal number 2125 William Hurtle Driver who fought in the 51st Battalion of Australian Infantry, 6th Reinforcement and who was killed in action in Pozieres on September 3, 1916 at the age of 33 after being reported missing, he is now buried at Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery and resting in peace for peace for which he has offered the most precious and the greatest of sacrifices.France will never forget everything that the Australians and all those who fought and died together, and here in Picardy, the poppies will still bloom their graves, they will be honored and their memories will cross the time with the same force and the same respect, we will never forget you.🌺🇦🇺🌺

William Hurtle Driver

Described on enlisting as 32 years 4 months old; single; 5’ 10” tall; 158 lbs; fair complexion;
blue eyes; light brown hair; Methodist

Father: Thomas Driver, Summertown SA and Mother Ann (nee Trenordan) d. 8/3/1905
Father remarried 10/4/1906 Phoebe May (nee Milne)

He had left Summertown in South Australia to live in Perth Western Australia, where he enlisted
at Meriden, Western Australia.

Previous service: Member Rifle Club

17/4/1915 : Completed medical – fit for service

26/4/1915: Enlisted at Meredin, WA rank Private, 11th Infantry, 6th Reinforcements

6/5/1915: Commanding Officer appointed William to 6th Reinforcement / 11th Infantry Battalion

6/6/1915: Embarked from Fremantle on HMAT Geelong A2

31/7/1915: Embarked for Dardanelles on HMT Berrima, ex Alexandria, Egypt

1/8/1915: Ship sailed

7/8/1915 :Taken on strength from 6th Reinforcements/11th Battalion, Dardanelles Gallipoli Peninsula

23/8/1915: To hospital – Laryngitis and Pyrexia - Gallipoli
Admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station (ACCS)

28/9/1915 :Transferred to Lemnos - Greece, per HS Clemart Castle Admitted to hospital with Laryngitis

4/10/1915: Admitted to 1st Auxillary hospital – Heliopolis - Greece

22/10/1915:Discharged to duty

19/11/1915 : Rejoined Unit from hospital – Sarpi Rest Camp, Lemnos – Greece

7/1/1916: Disembarked at Lemnos, per HT ‘Empress of Britain’, at Alexandria, Egypt

29/2/1916: Transferred to 51st Battalion, at Serapeum

1/3/1916 :Transferred from 11th Battalion/3rd Reinforcement, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt to ‘D’ Company

5/6/1916 : Proceeding to join British Expeditionary Force (BEF), in Alexandria, Egypt per transport “Ivernia”*

12/6/1916 :Disembarked at Marseilles, France

10/7/1916 :Appointed to Lance Corporal, France

28/8/1916 : Promoted to Corporal, France

3/9/1916 : MISSING IN ACTION - France
27/1/1917 : MISSING IN ACTION - France
6/2/1917 : MISSING IN ACTION - France

25th Division General HQ was advised that on 25/10/1916 Corporal Driver was buried in the vicinity of Thiepval, France.

1/3/1917:Confirmed Corporal Driver was Killed in action in the Battle of Pozières on the Somme, France 3/9/1916 (not missing in action)

2/7/1922 :Corporal Driver’s body was exhumed, two disks on body gave confirmation of identification and he was reburied.

13/12/1923: Confirmed by Imperial War Graves Commission, who identified Corporal W H Driver’s remains, which have now been interred with every measure of care and reverence in grave

Plot 2, Row M, Grave 22

1924 :A permanent headstone with final resting place, all regimental description and date of death, together with a personal inscription engraved on it.

Biography

Described on enlisting as 32 years 4 months old; single; 5’ 10” tall; 158 lbs; fair complexion;
blue eyes; light brown hair; Methodist

Father Thomas Driver, Summertown SA and Mother Ann (nee Trenordan) d. 8/3/1905
Father remarried 10/4/1906 Phoebe May (nee Milne)

He had left Summertown in South Australia to live in Perth Western Australia, where he enlisted
at Meriden, Western Australia.

Previous service: Member Rifle Club

17/4/1915 Completed medical – fit for service

26/4/1915 Enlisted at Meredin, WA rank Private, 11th Infantry, 6th Reinforcements

6/5/1915 Commanding Officer appointed William to 6th Reinforcement / 11th Infantry Battalion

6/6/1915 Embarked from Fremantle on HMAT Geelong A2

31/7/1915 Embarked for Dardanelles on HMT Berrima, ex Alexandria, Egypt

1/8/1915 Ship sailed

7/8/1915 Taken on strength from 6th Reinforcements/11th Battalion, Dardanelles Gallipoli Peninsula

23/8/1915 To hospital – Laryngitis and Pyrexia - Gallipoli
Admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station (ACCS)

28/9/1915 Transferred to Lemnos - Greece, per HS Clemart Castle
Admitted to hospital with Laryngitis

4/10/1915 Admitted to 1st Auxillary hospital – Heliopolis - Greece

22/10/1915 Discharged to duty

19/11/1915 Rejoined Unit from hospital – Sarpi Rest Camp, Lemnos – Greece

7/1/1916 Disembarked at Lemnos, per HT ‘Empress of Britain’, at Alexandria, Egypt

29/2/1916 Transferred to 51st Battalion, at Serapeum

1/3/1916 Transferred from 11th Battalion/3rd Reinforcement, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt
to ‘D’ Company

5/6/1916 Proceeding to join British Expeditionary Force (BEF), in Alexandria, Egypt
per transport “Ivernia”

12/6/1916 Disembarked at Marseilles, France

10/7/1916 Appointed to Lance Corporal, France

28/8/1916 Promoted to Corporal, France

3/9/1916                        MISSING IN ACTION - France
27/1/1917                      MISSING IN ACTION - France
6/2/1917                        MISSING IN ACTION - France

25th Division General HQ was advised that on 25/10/1916 Corporal Driver was buried in the vicinity of Thiepval, France.

1/3/1917 Confirmed Corporal Driver was Killed in action in the Battle of
Pozières on the Somme, France 3/9/1916 (not missing in action)

2/7/1922 Corporal Driver’s body was exhumed, two disks on body gave
confirmation of identification and he was reburied.

13/12/1923                Confirmed by Imperial War Graves Commission, who identified Corporal
                                    W H Driver’s remains, which have now been interred with every measure
                                    of care and reverence in grave

Plot 2, Row M, Grave 22

1924 A permanent headstone with final resting place, all regimental description
and date of death, together with a personal inscription engraved on it.

Medals:
WWI Star 1914-15 (4712); British War medal (14122); Victory medal (14065);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (317126)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 2 September 2014. Lest we forget.

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