ALLEN, Hilton Bede
| Service Number: | 8 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 April 1915, Liverpool |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Quirindi, New South Wales, Australia, 21 January 1888 |
| Home Town: | Quirindi, Liverpool Plains, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Church of England Grammar School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Stock and Station Agent |
| Died: | Shell blast, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Messines Ridge British Cemetery VI. C. 34. |
| Memorials: | Northbridge (Shore) Sydney Church of England Grammar School Memorial Cricket Ground Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 8, 19 Infantry Battalion AMF, Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul 1915: | Involvement Driver, 8, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hobart embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Jul 1915: | Embarked Driver, 8, 19th Infantry Battalion, SS Hobart, Sydney | |
| 21 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 8, 19th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 12 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 19th Infantry Battalion | |
| 29 Jun 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 18 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle of Messines |
Help us honour Hilton Bede Allen's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported on 29 June 1917 that Lieutenant Hilton Bede Allen, the third son of Mr and Mrs R. A. Allen of the Commercial Bank, Quirindi was killed in action on June 7.
Hilton Allen was born on January 21, 1888 and educated at the Church of England Grammar School, North Sydney, and afterwards entered the service of the Australian Joint Stock Bank, subsequently the Australian Bank of Commerce, continuing in that service for nine years. He then resigned in order to enter into the stock and station agency business with Mr. A. J. Fleming at Newcastle, afterwards being associated with Messrs. Hawkins, of that city.
He enlisted as a private early in the war, and sailed in July 1915. He served at Gallipoli and was in the evacuation in December 1915. Back in Egypt, in early 1916, he was promoted to second lieutenant and received further promotion to the rank of first lieutenant in France. Lieutenant Allen received a card of congratulation from Major-General Sir H. V. Cox for his coolness and courage, displayed during a raid on the enemy’s trenches on the nights of October 15 and 16, 1916.
Latest advice stated that he was appointed acting-staff captain. He had furlough In England in December 1916, during the last part of which he spent some time in hospital at Wandsworth, with rheumatism.
Later his commanding officer wrote to his family offering his sympathy and gave a few details of their son’s death.
“Fate seemed particularly cruel as far as he was concerned. Ever, since he joined this battalion, Allen has done particularly fine work. He had been into some very hot shows, had always done well, and generally was looked upon as one of the smartest subalterns in the battalion. So, when a couple of months back I was asked to nominate an officer to be trained as a staff captain, I sent Allen's name in, as I thought he was not only entitled to an easier, or rather, safer job, but also that he would make a good staff officer as he had plenty of ballast and a quick mind.
So, at the time of his death Allen was attached to Brigade Headquarters and shaping particularly well at his job. He was superintending the removal of a dump of ammunition at the time, and he was going forward to locate a more forward situation. A high explosive shell burst right amongst the party, and he was killed instantly. Allen was always well liked in the battalion, and was looked upon as a cool, brave, reliable officer, and one that seemed to always be in the thick of it when any fighting was on. His death is a great loss to this battalion, as men of his ability, courage, and experience are difficult to get."
References:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239389618
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134870964
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