Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert was one of the four sons of Harry Nicholas Freeman and the late Kate Ada Freeman, of Parramatta, New South Wales, who enlisted during WW1.

His younger brother, 2509 Pte. Percy Freeman 54th Battalion AIF had died of wounds near Bullecourt three months before on 18 May 1917, aged 24.

Herbert only joined his battalion in France during late 1916 and he was reported missing on 27 March 1917.

A mate in his Red Cross file described his disappearance, ‘I knew Freeman very well. We used to call him ‘Darkie.’ He was fetching rations at Beaumetz on March 27 last. They had brought the rations up to the trench and went back for water. He said he knew a short cut, and, being a very determined sort of fellow, he went off on his own, against the advice of the other men of the party. Not long afterwards we heard them throwing bombs from the German trench, and we came to the conclusion that he must have lost his way and walked straight into their line. There was not any shelling going on at the time, and we were not making any raid on the German trenches. He was a very game man and a great loss, and much liked in the battalion. He came out from Australia with me in the same boat from Port Lincoln. “

Herbert was later reported died of illness on 14 August 1917, while a prisoner of war at Kriegs Lazarett 7, Gruppe 2, Sous le Bois, Mauberge, France, aged 28. He is buried in the Maubeuge-Centre Cemetery, France.

An article later appeared, describing the details surrounding his death in the Cumberland Argus.

“…Private Freeman, reported died of wounds, was actually knocked on the head with a sentry’s rifle. He was the eldest son of a family of five brothers, four of whom have fought, and one offered and was rejected. ‘Herb’, as he was generally called, was a fine, thick-set lump of manhood, and was of a particularly determined and unfearing disposition. He was one, also, who had the name of being able to ‘use ’em a bit,’ although he did not go in for prize fighting. When war broke out, he was in Lismore, and afterwards went to Queensland. From there he went to England, where he was rejected when he volunteered to go to the war. He afterwards found his way to Vancouver, and was engaged for some time in the taking of mules to Egypt and England for war purposes. Whilst thus engaged he contracted malaria, and was in hospital for six months, when he was discharged. The fever affected his hearing somewhat. Returning to his home at Parramatta, he was back but a week when he offered to enlist and was accepted. He went into camp on January 17, 1916, at Liverpool, thence to Melbourne and England. Not long afterwards he was sent to the. firing- line; and on November 9, 1917, the Rev. Hilhouse Taylor visited his relatives and conveyed the tidings that he had been taken prisoner of war. This was confirmed on the following day by a telegram received by the Rev. R. C. Blumer and conveyed to the relatives. Following upon that, Mrs. W. Weeden, of George Street, got into touch with that mighty organisation, the Red Cross Society, which is now appealing for funds to carry out its good work, and the good work of which is exemplified by the following In stances of what it has done in this case— only one of thousands. From the Red Cross Mrs. Weeden got the sad news that her brother had died from wounds, whilst a prisoner of war, at Limberg, Germany, according to the German official list, 3/5/17. No date of death was given. The Red Cross letter, dated November 16, said: ‘We have just received from our agents in London the following cable, ‘1897 — Freeman, 57th Battalion, died of wounds at Kreigslazarette, Souslebois, buried at Maubeuge, Kreigslazarette, we understand, means war hospital.’