Dedman, Herman Thomas
No.1920 – Private Herman Thomas Dedman – 28th Battalion AIF
Herman Thomas Dedman was born in Northam WA in 1893 to George and Sarah Dedman. While Herman was still young the family moved to North Fremantle where they took up residence in Victoria Avenue. He was educated at North Fremantle State School and after leaving took up employment with Pearce Brothers Tannery in Fremantle and then at a Flour Mills in Cottesloe. During this time Herman also served with the 11th Australian Infantry Regiment Militia and was awarded a gold medal trophy three years in a row from 1909-1911.
On the 21st June 1915 aged 22, Herman went and enlisted in the AIF at Perth. He was given a medical examination and passed as fit for the AIF. He was found to be 5 feet 9 & ½ inches tall; weight of 169 lbs; chest measurement of 37-39 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Herman was assigned to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF and he trained with them in WA until the end of August 1915. On the 2nd September his reinforcement group boarded the transport ship H.M.A.T. “Anchises” in Fremantle Harbour and made their way to Egypt.
Herman and his group did not spend long in Egypt and after a few days were put on board another ship in Alexandria and were sent to Gallipoli. Herman was officially taken on strength of the Battalion at Gallipoli on the 12th October 1915. The 28th Battalion were then garrisoning trenches in the northern sector of the Anzac Battlefield near the Apex and Rhododendron Ridge. On the 11th November Herman was sent to hospital with influenza but had returned to duty by the 16th November. He stayed with the battalion for the rest of the campaign and withdrew with them when Gallipoli was evacuated. On the 10th January 1916 they arrived back in Alexandria Egypt and they resumed their training as well as garrisoning posts on the Suez Canal defence line.
Herman had a few run-ins with military discipline while in Egypt as he was charged with going absent without leave from the 30th January to the 3rd February 1916 as a result of which he had to forfeit 10 days pay. A few weeks later he again went absent from the 17th February to 18th February. He was given as a punishment two days of Field Punishment No.2. This was his last infraction while in Egypt as the 28th Battalion embarked for France on the 16th March 1916, arriving at Marseilles five days later on the 21st March.
After their arrival the battalion were put onto trains and sent up to the north of France where they took up trench positions to the south of Armentieres. They were to be in this region for the next few months gaining experience in trench warfare. On the 30th April 1916 Herman was evacuated ill back to the 6th Field Ambulance where he was diagnosed with Influenza, though he returned by the 2nd May. After Herman returned he was in the Battalion Scouts and was made a part of the raiding party of the 28th & 26th Battalion that were due to raid the German trench on the 6th/7th June 1916. The raid, the first by the Australians in France was highly successful and the men who participated were given 14 days leave to England where the press feted them as ‘The Black Anzacs’ which can be attributed to the fact that they painted their faces black prior to the raid to avoid any reflections of moonlight and flares.
Herman returned from leave but quite soon came down with an illness. He was evacuated to No.8 Casualty Clearing Station, then No.1 Convalescent Depot at Boulogne and was again transferred to No.9 Stationary Hospital at Le Havre and then finally on the 29th June to No.18 General Hospital at Camiers. He remained in hospital here until the 9th August 1916 after which he was sent to the 2nd Australian Base Depot at Etaples. He only spent a few more days here and was then taken back on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 17th August 1916. Herman had missed the 28th’s actions at Pozieres on the 29th July and 4th August when the Battalion was severely mauled. The 28th Battalion did not take the main role in the 2nd Division’s assault at Mouquet Farm in late August and was thus held in reserve.
After the 2nd Division was relieved from the Somme front it was sent north to a quieter part of the front line at Ypres. They would spend September and a part of October here before returning to the Somme. On November 3rd 1916 the 28th Battalion, as part of the 7th Brigade launched an assault on the German lines. The attack was unsuccessful and unfortunately Herman was killed by a German shell. He was buried and after the war was relocated to Warlencourt British Cemetery in plot V.B.39.
Many memoriam notices were put in the paper for “Tom” including this one below from Ern. The family also chose the following epitaph for Tom’s grave.
At the Heavenly Gates
He will meet us
With the same
Dear Loving Smile