HAYDEN, Robert
| Service Number: | 12555 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 27 May 1892 |
| Home Town: | Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Mt Clear State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Builder |
| Died: | Bronchial Pneumonia as a result of exposure to Mustard Gas in the trenches, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia , 10 September 1969, aged 77 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ballarat New Cemetery and Crematorium, Victoria |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 20 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 12555, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 12555, 23rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, HMAT Medic, Melbourne | |
| 8 Feb 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 9th Field Ambulance, Transferred to 9th Australian Field Ambulance Corps in France on 8th Feb 1917 |
Robert HAYDEN 12555 Military History
During the early part of 1915 after relocating from Ballarat to Melbourne for work purposes, Robert Hayden attended a course of instruction with the St. John Ambulance Association at Hawthorn Town Hall and was certified as being qualified to render "First Aid to the Injured". The certificate is dated August 9th 1915.
Rather than go back to Ballarat to join up in a local Brigade he enlisted in the Army in Melbourne on the 4th September 1915. He was given two weeks leave of absence to settle his affairs before starting Infantry training on 20th September.
Because of his medical knowledge, he was selected for the Army Medical Corps (A.M.C.) and started training at the Flemington Showgrounds on the 9th October 1916. He was sent on loan, for duty, to No.5 Australian General Hospital
(A.G.H) at Royal Park, Melbourne until May 1916, when he and three others were picked to accompany the 23rd Howitzer Brigade on active service overseas in the 11th Field Ambulance Detail.
The Brigade embarked on the White Star vessel “Medic“ and left Port Melbourne on the 20th May 1916 to travel to England and France.
Robert was transferred to the 9th Australian Field Ambulance Corps in France on the 8th Feb. 1917, and it was in this detail that he served out the War. He arrived back in Melbourne on the 27th October 1919 and was discharged from the Army on the 20th Dec. 1919. He suffered with trench fever in France, which twice required him to be hospitalised in England for a recovery period. He was also affected by mustard gas in the battlefield, which caused him to have a rather
husky voice for the rest of his life. After the fighting ceased in late 1918, some of
the fit AIF personal were allowed to work for a time in England, until transport
arrangements were made for their return to Australia.
Submitted 24 July 2022 by Robert Hayden
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