HEWETT, William Stanley
| Service Number: | 6537 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 23 July 1891 |
| Home Town: | Auburn, Auburn, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Branch of NSW Government Railways |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 6 August 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Adelaide Cemetery Villers-Bretonneux Plot 3, Row Q, Grave 22. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Baulkham Hills William Thompson Masonic School War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Sydney United Grand Lodge Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 6537, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 6537, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 1 Nov 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 55th Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 Aug 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 6537, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6537 awm_unit: 13 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-08-06 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
William Stanley HEWETT (Service Number 6537) was born on 23rd July 1891 in Summer Hill, Sydney, NSW. He commenced a career in the Railways on 18th May 1910 and was working in the Locomotive Branch. After moving around a few times, he eventually ended up working at Eveleigh. On 11th July 1916, he was released from duty to join the AIF. He was 24 when he enlisted.
He embarked from Sydney on 7th October 1916 on HMAT A40 ‘Ceramic’ and disembarked at Plymouth (England) on 21 November. On 2nd January 1917, he joined the 13th Battalion in the field in France. On 14th February 1917, he was admitted to the hospital with scabies. On the following day, was admitted for bronchitis. After his stay in the hospital, he re-joined his unit in France on 12th March 1917
On 21 June 1917, he was in trouble in Belgium after losing a P.H. helmet ‘by neglect’. P.H. helmets were early gas masks used to protect soldiers from chlorine, phosgene and tear gases. As punishment, he was allotted seven days of Field Punishment No. 2. He sent 11 days on leave in October. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 1st November 1917. In February 1918, he was admitted to hospital again, but his stay would only last three days before he re-joined his unit on the field in France. He was promoted to Corporal on 5th April 1918.
On 6th August 1918, he was killed in action. He was buried in the Adelaide British Cemetery, Villers Bretonneux, plot 3, row Q, grave 22. He was 27 when he died.
His father and mother, who were listed as his next of kin, received a number of his personal items following his death, including a wallet, a diary, and some photo cards. They also received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal on behalf of their son’s service.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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