Hearle, Herbert Frederick

No.816 – L/Cpl Herbert Frederick Hearle – 3^rd Machine Gun Company

Herbert Frederick Hearle was born in Port Adelaide South Australia in 1892 to Herbert and Elizabeth Hearle. The family moved across to Western Australia while Bert was still young and they took up residence in Bellevue Terrace Fremantle. He was educated at Beaconsfield State School and after leaving took up a Bakery apprenticeship. Bert spent 4 years as an apprentice to G Meadley and W Hancock in Fremantle, after which time he continued to work as a fully fledged Baker. During his apprenticeship Herbert had also been a member of the Military Cadets.

On the 14^th September 1914 Herbert enlisted into the AIF. He was medically examined by Dr. Brennan of Fremantle Hospital who found Bert to be 5 feet 6 & ¼ inches tall; weight of 161 lbs; chest measurement of 37 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Herbert was allotted to “G” Company of the 12^th Battalion AIF but when the 8 company system changed to 4, G & H combined to form the new “D” Company. Bert and the WA Companies of the 12^th Battalion trained in WA until the end of October 1914 when they received the orders to embark.

On the 2^nd November 1914 Bert boarded the H.M.A.T. “Medic” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for overseas. Arriving in Egypt in early December 1914, Bert and the 12^th Battalion camped at Mena near Cairo, and this would be their training base for the next few months. On the 2nd March 1915, the 12^th Battalion as part of the 3^rd Brigade left Alexandria and were sent to Lemnos Island in preparation for the landing on the Turkish coast. The 12^th Battalion would train at Lemnos for the next several weeks.

On the evening of April 24^th the troopships began departing Lemnos, bound for the Turkish coast. The 12^th Battalion was to be split among the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th Battalions. D Company of the 12^th would land with their fellow Western Australians in the 11^th Battalion. Landing at North Beach, the men quickly made their way inland through the rocky and scrubby foothills till they reached the 2^nd Ridge and some parties continued on to the Third ridge and beyond. Turkish resistance stiffened by mid morning and the Australians were pushed back to a toe hold on the 2^nd Ridge. Towards evening Bert was wounded when a bullet hit him in the foot. He was evacuated back to Egypt where he was admitted to the 1^st General Hospital in Cairo. Bert remained in hospital for several weeks but was then released as fit and returned to the 12^th Battalion on Gallipoli on the 27^th June 1915. The 12^th Battalion were by this stage of the campaign in the southern portion of the Anzac Battlefield.

Another large assault was being organised for the 6^th/7^th August when an attempt would be made to break through the Turkish defences. On the 6^th August, the 1^st Brigade took the Turkish trenches at Lone Pine, but due to the 1^st Brigades heavy casualties, the 12^th Battalion reinforced the captured positions and repelled the constant Turkish attacks. Bert suffered a bomb wound to his thigh and left hand and was evacuated back to the hospital ship. Taken first to Mudros he was then sent to Egypt, being admitted to No.2 General Hospital and as his condition improved to the Red Cross Hospital. On the 20^th September he was sent to a Convalescent Camp, and by the 12^th October he was fit enough to rejoin the 12^th Battalion transport in Egypt.

Bert stayed with the 12^th Battalion transport for a few weeks and then was declared fit enough to rejoin the 12^th Battalion at Gallipoli, so sailed from Alexandria on the 25^th October 1915. It seems Bert remained on Mudros Island as he joined back up with the 12^th Battalion on the 27^th November 1915 when the battalion had been withdrawn from the peninsula for a rest. As Gallipoli was being evacuated in December, the 12^th Battalion did not return to the Anzac Battlefield, but instead returned to Egypt, arriving on the 6^th January 1916.

Bert spent the first two months of 1916 training with the 12^th Battalion in the desert and also holding the defence line on the Suez Canal. On the 13^th March Bert transferred to join the 3^rd Machine Gun Company. This unit would provide machine gun support for the 3^rd Brigade. Bert attended the Machine Gun School of Instruction at Zeitoun Camp. He passed as a Qualified Instructor and was awarded a 1^st Class Machine Gun pass.

On the 29^th March 1916 the 3^rd Machine Gun Company arrived at Alexandria and embarked for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 5^th April 1916. The men were disembarked and sent to the north of France to the region known as Fleurbaix where they would become accustomed to the Western Front. They would remain at Fleurbaix until June 1916.

In early July 1916 the 1^st Division were sent to the Somme, where on July 21^st they would attack and capture the village of Pozieres. After the capture of the village the Germans unleashed a torrent of artillery fire and the 1^st Division which stayed in the line of seven days, suffered massive casualties. Bert had been wounded on the 22^nd July and was sent to No.1 Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. He remained here for several days and was then sent to No.6 Convalescent Depot. On the 7^th August Bert marched into the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot and remained there until the 11^th September 1916 when he rejoined the Company.

Bert remained with the 3^rd Machine Gun Company through the French winter of 1916/17 on the Somme, being appointed a Lance Corporal on the 26^th December 1916. In February 1917 the Germans began a withdrawal to a pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line and the Australians followed them all the way, the 3^rd Machine Gun Company being involved at Le Barque and Morchies.

On the 15^th April 1917 the 3^rd Machine Gunners helped provide a vital defence as the Germans tried to break though and capture Lagnicourt but they were eventually pushed back. On the 3^rd May 1917 the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt was launched, and the 1^st Division came into the fray to relieve the original assaulting battalions on the 5^th May 1917. Bert was badly wounded in the Abdomen on the 6^th May and was taken back to the 6^th Field Ambulance and then to the 3^rd Casualty Clearing Station. Unfortunately the wounds proved too severe and Bert died on the 6^th May 1917. He was buried at Grevillers Military Cemetery in plot III.E.19 in a service conducted by a Reverend T.C. Walters.

Three younger brothers had served in the war, Ernest being killed on April 25^th 1915 at Gallipoli, and Henry and Charles who served with the 11^th Battalion and 51^st Battalion respectively. Both Henry and Charles returned to Fremantle at war's end