WHEELER, Richard Packer
| Service Number: | 1111 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 October 1914, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 7th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Bassett Town, South Australia, 1 April 1879 |
| Home Town: | Kent Town, Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood Primary School |
| Occupation: | Civil Servant |
| Died: | Natural causes, South Australia, 22 January 1966, aged 86 years |
| Cemetery: |
Payneham Cemetery Address: 45 Marian Rd, Payneham SA 5070 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Commissioner of Public Works Roll of Honour, Adelaide Public Stores Department WW1 Roll of Honour, Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1111, 1st Australian General Hospital, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1111, 1st Australian General Hospital, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Warrant Officer, 1111, 1st Australian General Hospital, HMAT Kyarra, Melbourne | |
| 2 Mar 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 7th Field Ambulance |
Help us honour Richard Packer Wheeler's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Richard Packer Wheeler was born in South Australia on April 1st, 1879. Richard was born in Basset town Adelaide but moved to 25 Alfred Street Norwood. He resided at Alfred Street in Kent Town before the war, working as a Civil Servant. When The Great War began in 1914, Wheeler was 37 years and eight months of age. He was measured 5,9 feet and weighed 159 lbs/pounds. He had served ten years in the Australia Army Medical Corps. He was promoted to Warrant Officer when enlisting, leading the 1st Australian Medical Corps Division to Egypt.
On December 5th, 1914, Richard Embarked aboard the HMAT Kyarra, from Melbourne. The 1st Australian General Hospital was stationed in Heliopolis, Egypt, for a while.
Later, Richard moved to the 7th Field Ambulance, which was stationed on The Western Front. The 7th field ambulance supported battalions 25th (QLD), 26th (QLD, T.A.S.), 27th (S.A.), and 28th (W.A.). They were there on the battlefield, supporting the infantry troops and continuously checking people medically. The Field Ambulance is stationed at the "Second Line," the Support line. They were responsible for Second-Line casualty evacuation from the First Line's R.A.P. in each battalion.
Wheeler took part in the Battle of Somme with the 7th Field Ambulance. Many casualties happened that day, with over 600,000 losses on each side. Massive work needed to happen with the medical divisions at the Western Front—an overload of bodies and injured people required tending to. Lots of bodies were buried or left along the line of fire since the war was still going on.
On January 28th, 1916, Richard was featured on the London Gazette page 1209, position 67, when he was listed under the Australian Army Medical Corps. He had yet to be promoted to captain since he was still a Sergeant Major. Once again, Wheeler is in the Commonwealth Australia gazette on page 862. He was shown as a captain this time, so we can assume he was promoted between January 28th and April 6th. Richard is featured in, once again, another gazette, the Australian Commonwealth Gazette, on April 18th, 1918, No. 57. Richard received several medals and commendations towards the war's end. He accepted, as all surviving soldiers, an Imperial Campaign Medal. Richard received a Military Cross medal, and and he received a recommendation, which was Mentioned In Dispatches.
Wheeler was in the A.I.F. for over four years, joining from October 13th, 1914, to March 2nd, 1919.
He sadly passed away on January 22nd, 1966, at the age of 87 due to natural causes. He was buried at Payneham Cemetery in Adelaide.
Click images to start slideshow.