Lorenzo (Hutchie or Ken) HUTCHINSON

HUTCHINSON, Lorenzo

Service Number: 674
Enlisted: 19 August 1914, Enlisted at Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 8th Infantry Battalion
Born: Nurrabiel, Victoria, Australia, 1892
Home Town: Warracknabeal, Yarriambiack, Victoria
Schooling: State School and College, Warracknaeal, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Tailor
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 8 May 1915
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Helles Memorial, Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Dimboola Memorial High School WWI Honour Roll, Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Warracknabeal War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

19 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 674, Enlisted at Melbourne, Victoria
19 Oct 1914: Involvement Private, 674, 8th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: ''
19 Oct 1914: Embarked Private, 674, 8th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Melbourne
8 May 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, ANZAC / Gallipoli

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Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of Charles Henry Hutchinson and Agnes Hutchinson nee Geddes of Nurrabiel, Victoria. Brother of Sarah Jane Hutchinson, Thomas Hutchinson, Charles Henry Robert Hutchinson, James Hutchinson, Agnes Hutchinson and Andrew Hutchinson

Next of kin given as his aunt Mary Geddes of Scott Street, Warracknabeal, Victoria

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Lorenzo Hutchinson was 22 years of age on 19 August 1914 when he enlisted, at Melbourne, Victoria, into the 8th Battalion.  The war was only two weeks old and he was given the early service number 674.   He did not include his nick name "Ken" on his Attestation Papers and the use of "Ken" by his family and friends, instead of Lorenzo, created many later difficulties in trying to track him after he went missing on Gallipoli.

Both of Lorenzo's parents were deceased when he enlisted and he nominated his mother's sister Miss Mary Geddes, Dressmaker, Scot St Warracknabeal as his NOK.   So too did his brother Andrew.   Lorenzo was living with Mary Geddes and his occupation was given as Tailor.  

Lorenzo was wounded in action at Gallipoli on 8 May 1915 and was posted as Missing.  An initial Court of Inquiry held on Gallipoli on during October 1915 found that he had been Killed or Prisoner of War.  

In 1916 Pte H R Bailey, 440, 8th Battalion, B Coy, gave evidence regarding Lorenzo.   "Informant states that casualty was in B Coy and was buried on the 8May at Cape Helles.   Informant knows definitely that casualty was killed.   The casualty was a friend of the informant and on or about the 8 May informant asked someone where Hutchie was.   (The casualty was called Hutchie.   The reply was that got hit out last night (8 May).   Informant then went down the Gully and came across a burying party with six bodies.   After a close inspection he recognised his comrade, the above casualty".

On 12 April 1916 a statement was placed on record regarding the circumstances of Lorenzo' death.   "Informant states that on that (day) the 2nd Brigade charged and advanced 800 yards to within 300 yards of the Turkish trenches, and dug in, and were relieved in four days.   The Regiment suffered heavily.   All the burying was done at night, and the roll was not called regularly, but when they retired on the fourth day, casualty was missing.   Informant is strongly of the opinion that casualty was killed and is positive that no prisoners were taken on either side as they were not close enough at any time during those four days.   Ref: Captain Yates (who commanded the coy in action). 

Mary Geddes advised the AIF that she had met another Warracknabeal soldier who told her that he had seen her nephew in the 15th General Hospital, Alexandria and he was nearly all right.  She said another father of a soldier told her that his son had seen "my boy" wandering about the camps out of his mind and almost without clothing.  Another had told her that he was in Hospital in Malta for a nervous breakdown.

Numerous conflicting letters were exchanged between Mary Geddes, Military Base Records, Secretary of Defence and Mr Sampson , Member House of Representatives, all trying to establish the facts from rumours.  Cables were sent to and from Cairo, but no evidence was available to suggest that Lorenzo was alive.   It was finally established that the search was conducted for "Kenneth" Hutchinson as his nick name Ken had been used in some correspondence.  It was established that there were no Kenneth Hutchinson's serving in the AIF.   It was further compounded by a mistake by a clerk in Military Base Records giving information about a Leslie Hutchinson in lieu of Lorenzo.

A second Court of Enquiry held at Rouen, France, during September 1917 found that Lorenzo had been Killed In Action on or about 8 May 1915.

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