Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

SERVICE NUMBER 6355 Henry Willmott

Arrived into the world at the family property “Reinscourt” in Buselton on May 16 1895. He was the eldest son of Percy and Maggie Willmott. His younger years were spent at Cape Leeuwin where his father was the lighthouse keeper. In later years the family bought a property in Margaret River they called “Basildene” and Henry worked here as a farmer. Six foot tall and 21 years of age, Henry went to Bunbury to enlist on April 5 1916 followed by a six month training period at Blackboy Hill.

Marching onto the docks at Fremantle, he embarked for England aboard HMAT A23 “Suffolk” on October 7. Unwell on the ship, he was sufficiently recovered to disembark at Plymouth on December 2 before travelling to France on the “Princess Clementine”, arriving on December 27 in Etaples. Again unwell, he was diagnosed with mumps and hospitalised for three weeks on February 1 1917. In a letter to his grandmother Henry wrote that he was enjoying sleeping in a comfortable bed and being waited on by the English nurses! In March, as part of the 32nd Battalion, they were busy repairing the shell damaged roads around Fleurs. April found them digging trenches around Halpincourt and May found them fighting at Bapaume. June and July the fighting was around Poziers and this continued until 9am on October 12 1917, when Henry was wounded. He received severe gunshot wounds to the right leg and foot and the right forearm. Hospitalised in Etaples at the 18th General Field Hospital, it was decided to send Henry to England for treatment on October 22 aboard HMS “St Patrick”. Admitted to the 3rd Western Hospital in Cardiff, Wales, Henry’s right leg was amputated below the knee the next day. After recovering from surgery, Henry was moved to the 2nd Auxillary Hospital in Southall where they specialised in fitting artificial limbs. Here they held rehabilitation classes for the wounded men and Henry undertook a carpentry course. One of the trunks that he made came back to Australia with him when he was repatriated home January 10 1919 aboard HMAT “Ulysses”, arriving at Fremantle February 24. Henry was discharged on April 18 1919 and he returned to his farming life at “Sandilands” in Busselton which he managed for his aunt until his death.

His artificial limb caused him constant pain for the rest of his life and retained shrapnel caused many problems as well. Despite these difficulties, Henry still rode around the farm and taught himself to ride sidesaddle. He was an excellent horseman. 1920 saw the death of Henry’s father Percy in Margaret River and the unveiling of the War Memorial in Busselton. Henry must have had a bit of a sense of humour, as a story goes as follows. A circus had come to Busselton c1920-22. There was a snake pit there and as a joke Henry put his right leg over the wall and stirred the snakes up causing them to strike at his leg. Women were fainting and men were most upset. (Henry’s artificial leg was found in the loft at “Sandilands” fairly recently.)

Henry married Blanche Sadlier in 1926 and they had two sons. Ambitious, Henry entered politics and became the National Member for Vasse in 1938, a position he held until his death in 1947. But on January 28 1938 as Henry was driving from one meeting to address another, his car skidded in gravel and hit a tree. Unconscious and with a broken rib and injury to his jaw he was trapped in his seat. Wife Blanche gave several speeches on Henry’s behalf while he was in hospital. He was also a past president of the Busselton RSL and an active member of the 32nd Battalion Association. Henry died on May 2 1947 and his funeral was the biggest Busselton had ever seen with over 500 people attending.