HOCKRIDGE, Robert Charles
| Service Number: | 280 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 October 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Penwortham, South Australia, 15 October 1888 |
| Home Town: | Wallaroo, Copper Coast, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood Public School |
| Occupation: | Grocer's assistant |
| Died: | Died of Illness (Typhoid), Greece (between Malta and Gallipoli at sea) , 24 July 1915, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
East Mudros Military Cemetery East Mudros Military Cemetery, Mudros, Lemnos, Aegean Islands, Greece |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Norwood Primary School Honour Board, Norwood War Memorial, Tumby Bay RSL Portrait Memorials, Tumby Bay War Memorial, Wallaroo WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 280, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Feb 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 280, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne | |
| 17 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli |
A Soldiers Story
Bob was born on 15 Oct 1888 at Penwortham (near Clare SA) to Thomas Charles Hockridge and Agnes Adelaide Hockridge (nee Glendenning). He was the youngest of 3 children in the family, 2 boys and a girl. His family lived at Norwood, then Clare before moving to Wallaroo. His father was a storekeeper.
On completion of schooling he moved with his family to Wallaroo (SA), where he joined the local Infantry militia unit and was engaged in the business of his father at Wallaroo for some years. His father died in Feb 1909 and it is thought that the family then moved back to Norwood.
"He then moved to Tumby Bay and took employ with Messrs. McFarlane Bros in their store on Lipson Road; he was also engaged in farming in the Tumby area for a short time" (Adelaide Observer Aug 1915) prior to his enlistment in the Army at Morphettville on 20 Oct 1914 at the age of 26. At the time of enlistment he recorded his occupation as grocers assistant.
On enlistment he was sent to Base Light Horse at Mitcham for training before being allocated to 9th Light Horse Regiment (9th L H Regt). His training in the Militia must have stood him in good stead, for 3 days after being allocated to his unit he was promoted to Corporal and then entrained for Melbourne.
The 9th L H Regt was formed in Adelaide and trained in Melbourne between Oct 1914 and Feb 1915. Approximately ¾ of the Regt hailed from South Australia and the other ¼ from Victoria. As part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, the 9th L H Regt sailed from Melbourne on 11 Feb 1915. Bob (with his unit) disembarked from HMAT “Karroo” in Egypt on 14 Mar 1915 for further training.
The light horse units were initially considered unsuitable for operations at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade landed in Gallipoli in May 1915 and was attached to the Australian and New Zealand Division. Bob arrived in Gallipoli on 16 May 1915.
After surviving at Gallipoli for 3 months, including the horrors of the Turkish counter attacks in May 1915, he reported sick on 17 Jul 1915 and was diagnosed with influenza. A week later he died of disease (DOD) aboard HS "Sicilia" at sea off Gallipoli; his sickness was later confirmed as Typhoid Fever.
It was initially reported to his family that Bob had been buried at sea between Gallipoli and Malta on 25 Jul 1917. This was amended on 3 Aug 1920 to state that he had been buried at the Mudros Cemetery, Lemnos by way of the following cable: " my communication of 27 Jul 1915 regarding the burial of your son, the late Corporal Robert Charles HOCKRIDGE, (Service No.) 280, 9th Light Horse Regt, advice has now been received to the effect that your son was buried in the Mudros Cemetery ... and not (at sea) as previously stated". Not a very caring correction some 5 years after the event!
His elder brother, Percival Horace (Pat), also served during WW1 in the Army in 3rd L H Regt.
Bob's name is recorded on the Tumby Bay Memorial
Submitted 29 April 2020 by Geoffrey Stewart
Biography
"LATE CPL. HOCKRIDGE.
The late Cpl. R. C. Hockridge, whose death has occurred from typhoid at the front, joined the 9th Light Horse, B Squadron, and proceeded to Egypt. After having served for nearly two months in the trenches, he was taken with typhoid, and he died on a hospital ship on July 24 and was buried at sea. He was very popular among his friends. He was engaged in the business of his father, the late Mr. T. C. Hockridge, at Wallaroo, for some years, and then went to Tumby Bay in the employ of Messrs. McFarlane Bros. Prior to enlisting he was for some time farming." - from the Adelaide Observer 21 Aug 1915 (nla.gov.au)
Robert Charles Hockridge was born on the 15th October, to Agnes and Thomas Hockridge. Agnes died at the age of 81 on the 28th of October 1933 and Thomas who died on the 4th of February 1909. Robert had two siblings, Gladys and Perce. Thomas took part in the business of his father which was located in Wallaroo, and later moved to work at Tumby Bay in the employment of the Messrs McFarlane Bros. Before he enlisted, for a short time Robert engaged in farming.
As time came Robert enlisted into the army on the 20th of October 1914 and was put into the 9th Light Horse Battalion.
While enlisting, Robert wrote down that he was a Methodist.
In his medical review it had been written that he was 6 feet, weighed 12 stones and 8 pounds, had a chest measurement of 36 inches, had a fresh complexion had brown eyes and deep brown hair.
His cousins had also gone to war, yet they were not put into the same areas for they went to France, while Robert went to Gallipoli.
Robert trained in Egypt and on the 11th of February 1915 he embarked from Melbourne to Gallipoli aboard the H.M.A.T. A 10 Karroo. On the 16th of May 1915, he landed in Anzac Cove. For 2 months he fought in the trenches and on the 17th of July 1915, Robert was diagnosed with influenza. At this time, he began his move towards Malta on the hospital ship, the H.S. Sicilia. Within 7 days Robert died at sea between Malta and Gallipoli from typhoid, which he may have gotten from the food he ate in the trenches. He was buried at sea but his memorial stands to this day in the Medros East Cemetery, which is in Lemnos. It is on the 2nd plot row B Grave 26.
Roberts personal items were returned home on the 31st of July 1916, and contained a packet, a notebook, and some photographs. Along with his medal for victory, his items may have been unclaimed, as noted on the package these items were sent through. Some more of Roberts effects were sent through on the 6th of December 1915; these included, cards, a dictionary and two books, one being religious and one being lingual.
During his time, Robert Charles Hockridge would have shown the Anzac Spirit, he showed mateship as he himself was popular among his friends, he showed courage as his father had died and left his mother and two brothers for his country, which also shows his patriotism, and loyalty to his mother-land. As many other soldiers who fought in the war, Robert showed endurance. He was able to endure the tough conditions of the trenches and for a short time, his disease.
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