HILLIER, Joseph Herbert
| Service Number: | 1539 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Redbank Plains, Queensland, Australia, 3 June 1893 |
| Home Town: | Ipswich, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Redbank Plains State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Fireman |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 31 August 1918, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Herbecourt British Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Ipswich Soldier's Memorial Hall Great War |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1539, 3rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 1539, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 1539, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 25 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 6 Jun 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 11 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5th Pioneer Battalion, France | |
| 2 Feb 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 12 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1539, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 13 Jun 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 31 Aug 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 1539, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1539 awm_unit: 5 Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-08-31 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Joseph was the youngest of nine children of Jesse Hillier (born 1839 in Gloucestershire, England) and second wife Margaret Bates (born 1856 in Ireland). Jesse and Margaret married in Brisbane QLD in 1877, settling at Humpy Bong in the Redcliffe District, QLD to raise their family. Before his death in 1910 at Redbank Plains near Ipswich, QLD (where he was a Farmer), Jesse had worked as a Labourer, a bush carpenter and contractor, squatter, fisherman and timbercutter.
Joseph was a Locomotive Fireman in Ipswich, QLD when he enlisted in the AIF August 1914 - having previously served with the Citizens Military Forces in Ipswich, QLD. Joseph was a Private (Service No:1539) with the 3rd Battalion H Coy, and was a Sergeant with 5th Australian Pioneer when he was KiA on 31 August 1918. In a Statement to the Australian Red Cross Society, Private Mace (Service No:2383, 5th Pioneer Battalion) reports 'He was killed by a H. E. Shell in the morning before the day of the Peronne Stunt. I was in the next section and saw him fall. He was buried at Hebecourt alongside the advanced D/Station. A cross was erected. He was killed at the village of Flaumont'.
Older brother James Edward (Private, Service No:2389) served with 9th Infantry Battalion, and nephew Harold Gregory Hillier (Private, Service No:7176) was serving with 25th Infantry Battalion when he was KiA in France on 3 October 1918.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Joseph Herbert HILLIER (Service Number 1539) was born on 3rd June 1893 at Ipswich, Queensland.
He enlisted at Kensington NSW on 29th August 1914 and being unmarried gave his mother living in Ipswich as his next of kin. He was initially allocated to the 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion and left Australia from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Euripides’ on 20th October 1914. He reached Egypt and after further training embarked on HT ‘Derfflinger’ at Alexandria on 5th April 1915 for the Gallipoli landings. Later, in September, he was evacuated to Mudros, the port on the island of Lemnos, with bronchitis and from there on the transport ‘Aquitania’ to England and the military hospital at Fulham. In January 1916 he was released from hospital and attached to the Australian Depot at Weymouth from where he was Absent Without Leave for two days with the penalty imposed being the loss of eight days pay.
Although the Gallipoli campaign was over Hillier returned to Egypt and joined the Pioneer Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir in April 1916. Another period of hospitalisation followed and in October he was promoted to Lance Sergeant and then Temporary Sergeant before proceeding to England and some leave. He returned from leave with VD for a second time but this time treatment took 64 days and he did not re-join his unit in France until 13th April 1917. He was wounded on 10th May with severe shrapnel injuries to his face and forehead, though this assessment must have been erroneous as he returned to duty a week later. In June he was promoted to Sergeant.
Further training followed and he attended the 39th Physical and Bayonet Training Course from 29 October 1917 and qualified as ‘very good’, In June 1918 he went to France where he re-joined his unit on 21st August.
He was wounded in action on 31st August 1918 by a High Explosive shell in the morning before the Péronne stunt. He died from those wounds the same day at the 15th Field Ambulance.
He was buried in Herbecourt Communal Cemetery Extension 4¼ miles West of Péronne.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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