S7618
HICKS, William
| Service Number: | 3000 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 April 1916, Adelaide, SA |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Mount Torrens South Australia, 2 May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Mount Pleasant, Barossa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Springbank, South Australia, 2 September 1959, aged 63 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
St Thomas Anglican Church Cemetery, Balhannah |
| Memorials: | Mount Pleasant Roll of Honor, Mount Torrens Roll of Honour, South Australian Garden of Remembrance |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3000, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Adelaide, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 3000, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan MacEwen embarkation_ship_number: A65 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 3000, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Clan MacEwen, Melbourne | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 3000, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 3000 |
William Hicks
Name: William Hicks
Service Number: 3000
Place of Birth: Mount Torrens
Date of Birth: 2 May 1896
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 10 April 1916
Age at Enlistment: 19 years 10 months
Next of Kin: Mother, Eliza Ann Hicks
Occupation: Butcher
Religion: Methodist
Rank: Private
William’s sister Christina and brother Frank served in the 1st A.I.F. William’s unit, the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 22nd Reinforcement embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A65 Clan McEwan on 9 October 1916. He served throughout the Middle East. William was appointed as a driver on 7 June 1917. Although he was hospitalised on at least 4 occasions during the period December 1917 to June 1919, his Service Record- Casualty Form fails to provide details of any illness. William returned to Australia on the Malta on 30 July 1919 and was discharged on 25 September.
Submitted 25 October 2023 by christopher collins
Biography contributed by Daryl Jones
Son of Aaron HICKS and Eliza Ann nee SCADDEN, Mount Pleasant, SA
Biography contributed by Modbury High School
On May 2, 1896 William Hicks was born in Mount Torrens, South Australia. He was the son of Mrs. Eliza Ann Hicks, and Aaron Hicks. Prior to the war Hicks worked as a Butcher and lived in Mt Pleasant.
At the age of 19 Hicks enlisted on 10th April 1916 to join the Australian Imperial Force, embarking on a journey that would take him across continents and into the heart of one of the harshest theatres of war: the deserts of the Middle East.
After enlisting, Hicks embarked from Australia aboard the Clan McEwen and arrived in Moascar, Egypt, for further military training. He was taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Regiment and soon after the 3rd Light Horse. In January 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Field Squadron Engineers.
His time with the 1st Field Squadron Engineers was characterised by extreme heat, limited supplies, and constant exposure to disease and exhaustion. In 1918, Hicks was hospitalized in Abbassia with fever, a reminder of the ever-present health threats that plagued the troops in the region.
Hicks served in the Middle East until the end of the war and was repatriated back to Australia on HT Malta disembarking in Australia 30th May 1919. He was discharged from the AIF 25th September 1918.
Hicks died 2nd September 1959 and is buried at St Thomas Anglican Church Cemetery at Balhannah in the Adelaide Hills.