Hesketh, William
3138 Private William Richard Hesketh - 2nd Pioneer Battalion & W243072 - Royal Australian Engineers
William Richard Hesketh was born in East Fremantle WA on the 18th July 1894 to Thomas and Mry Hesketh. He was one of nine children born into the family, the others being; Elizabeth (1893), Margaret (1897), Irene (1898), Beatric (1901), Blanche (1902), Nellie (1903), Gladys (1904) and Thomas (1905).
The family lived at Fremantle and William was educated at East Fremantle Primary School and CBC Fremantle.
After leaving school William took up employment as a sailor but had also seen service with the 86th Infantry of the Citizen Military Forces.
On the 1st September 1915 William enlisted into the AIF. The medical examiner passed him as fit and recorded his physical details as;
Height - 5 feet 4 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 125lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;
Complexion - Sallow,
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Black.
After his successful enlistment, William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and after two months of training was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion on 1st November 1915. This group trained in WA for the next two months.
On the 18th January 1916, William and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Medic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. After they arrived in Egypt in February William and his group were marched into the 7th Training Battalion. As the 28th battalion was at it's full complement of numbers, William instead joined the newly forming 2nd Pioneer Battalion. On the 19th March 1916, the 2nd Pioneers left Egypt and proceeded to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 26th March 1916.



