Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert John Hilder

Service Number: 1291

Herbert John Hilder was born in Cradock, South Australia, in January, 1888. Before enlisting for the army he worked as a station hand. Herbert was the son of Tilden James and Mary Elizabeth Hilder. His next of kin was his sister Ida Jarvis who lived in Gilgandra in New South Wales. He was a short man at 5 feet and 3 ¼ inches tall. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. He was a Methodist.

Herbert enlisted on the second of July, 1915, in Adelaide. He was twenty-seven years and six months old when he enlisted. He embarked on the SS Hawkes Bay ship which was built in Sunderland in 1891. He served in the 11th Light Horse Regiment in the 6th Reinforcement. He was a private and a trooper during his time in the army. The eleventh Light Horse Regiment was raised in August 1914 and was assigned to the Fourth Light Horse Brigade.

The formation of the 11th Light Horse Brigade was announced in August, 1914. Two squadrons of the regiment were formed in Queensland and one in South Australia, which Herbert John joined. On the 12th of July, the brigade sailed from Australia in two contingents, with one landing at Aden. Herbert was part of this one, which was sent to reinforce the British Army from a predicted attack. He left without any action. The regiment joined back together in Egypt and he began training as infantry because they had been ordered to leave the horses in Australia. After a month of training he was sent to Gallipoli in a squadron to reinforce the three Light Horse Regiments already in action. On the twelfth of February, 1916, the regiment was reunited again in Egypt. On the 20th of July, 1916, he joined forces defending the Suez Canal. On the 7th of February, 1916, Herbert John was taken on strength and joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment. He rejoined the 11th Light Horse Regiment on twenty second of February, 1916. On the 17th of May, 1916, he was marched out to Serapeum in Egypt.

On the 24th of March, 1917, while on active service he became drunk in a town and resisted arrest. He then spent fourteen days under arrest.

On 10th of November, 1917, he was sent to hospital sick with dysentery. He went back to the hospital again on the thirteenth of November, 1917, for the same reason before becoming dangerously ill on the twenty-sixth.

Herbert John Hilder died on the twentieth of November, 1917, at the age of thirty, in the 45th Stationary Hospital from dysentery.

He was initially buried at the Masaid Military Cemetery in El Arish before being moved to Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt.

Herbert John Hilder was awarded the 1914-1915 star, the British War Medal, and a Victory Medal.

After his death, his medals were sent home to his sister Ida Jarvis. She received the medals because there were no close relatives, such as his parents, meaning she was to receive the medal under the Deceased Soldiers Estates Act. Another letter came later from one of the majors on the 27th of November, 1920, stating that the medals would be sent to a Military Commandment in Sydney to be presented to Ida at a later date.

Ida Jarvis’ parents and siblings had all passed away and her husband was in need of an operation on his eyes. She applied for a gratuity bond from the government to pay for the operation. Her application was successful.