HEARD, William Robert
| Service Number: | 4318 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Tumbarumba, New South Wales, Australia, 18 October 1889 |
| Home Town: | Tumbarumba, Tumbarumba, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Tumbarumba Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of Illness - Septicaemia & Oedema of lungs, No. 1 War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, 17 August 1918, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Reading Cemetery, England Reading Cemetery (72. 16469), Berkshire, Reading Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Tumbarumba District Roll of Honour WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4318, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 4318, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 4318, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Orsova, Sydney | |
| 3 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4318, 20th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), GSW to face | |
| 29 Sep 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4318, 20th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood, GSW left arm |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 17th August......Private William Robert Heard was born at Tumbarumba, NSW in 1889. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 11th September, 1915 as a 25 year old, single, Labourer from Tumbarumba.
Private Heard embarked from Sydney, NSW on 11th March, 1916 with 20th Battalion. He later embarked from Alexandria for France, arriving at Marseilles on 18th May, 1916 & joined his Battalion on 30th July, 1916.
Private Heard was sent to 2nd Divisional Rest Station on 3rd October, 1917 with Furunculosis (Boils) & was invalided to England & admitted to 2nd Eastern General Hospital at Brighton, England on 10th October, 1916.
Private Heard recovered & was posted to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire from Hospital on 7th November, 1916. He was admitted to Hospital again with a deviated Septum, recovered & proceeded to France on 3rd February, 1917. Private Heard rejoined his Battalion on 8th March, 1917.
Private Heard was wounded in action in France on 3rd May, 1917. He was invalided to England & admitted to 4th Southern General Hospital at Plymouth on 16th May, 1917 with gunshot wounds to face & a fractured jaw. He was discharged to furlough on 27th June, 1917 & was report to Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 11th July, 1917.
Private Heard was returned to France & rejoined his Battalion on 22nd August, 1917.
Private Heard was wounded in action (2nd Occasion) in France on 20th September, 1917 with GSW to left arm. He recovered in France & rejoined his Battalion on 20th October, 1917.
Private Heard was on leave to England from Belgium on 4th March, 1918 & rejoined his Battalion from leave on 22nd March, 1918.
Private Heard was taken to 9th Australian Field Ambulance on 24th May, 1918 with a fever then invalided to England & admitted to Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England on 3rd June, 1918 with Trench Fever. His mother was advised 1918 that her son was suffering from Trench Fever and Septicaemia & was seriously ill on 27th June, 1918.
Private William Robert Heard died at 4 pm on 17th August, 1918 at No. 1 War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England from Septicaemia and Oedema of lungs. According to information supplied by Rachel Heard, mother of Private William Robert Heard, for the Roll of Honour – she stated that he had been gassed at Amiens. He was buried in Reading Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire where 16 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried. All but 1 do not have a headstone & are named on the Memorial Screen Wall located near the Cross of Sacrifice.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/reading.html
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