Hicks, Mervyn Leslie
297 Private Mervyn Leslie Hicks - 28th Battalion AIF
Mervyn Leslie Hicks was born in Fremantle WA in 1892 to George and Jane Hicks. He had two sisters, Hannah (1890) and Daisy (1895) and the family lived at 38 Suffolk Street Fremantle.
Merv was educated locally and after leaving school he took up employment as a clerk.
On the 4th January 1916 Merv enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches.
(The remainder of is attestation form on complexion, eyes, and hair colour was not filled in)
After his successful enlistment Merv was sent to Claremont Camp and was assigned to the 44th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months and on the 6th June 1916 he boarded the transport ship HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 21st July 1916.
Merv trained with the 44th Battalion on the Salisbury Plains for the next few months. However, with the high casualties with the Australian units already in France, reinforcements were asked for from the 3rd Australian Division, then training in France. Merv and others from the 44th Battalion were sent over to France to join the 28th Battalion.
On the 3rd November 1916 Merv landed in France and was sent to the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot. Merv appears to have been kept at the 2nd Division Base depot for two months as he only joined the 28th Battalion on the 9th January 1917.
Merv joined the 28th Battalion on the Somme battlefield in the midst of the French winter. In March 1917 he served at the capture of Lagnicourt and in May 1917 at Bullecourt when there was severe hand to hand fighting between the Australians and Germans.
On the 18th May 1917 Merv was sent to hospital ill and was diagnosed as suffering from trench fever. He spent time at the 1st Australian General Hospital at Rouen and on the 27th May 1917 was transferred to England. The following day he was admitted to Southwark Military Hospital.
Merv spent the next two months in hospital and on the 26th July 1917 was sent to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. His fitness level was downgraded and he would spend the next few months in England.
On the 3rd November 1917 Merv returned to France and was sent to the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot. The following day Merv was sent to the 40th Stationary Hospital at Harfleur with an arm injury. He also developed bronchitis during this time and was therefore away from his unit for some time.
On the 4th February 1918 Merv rejoined the 28th Battalion. The unit were then in Belgium, holding part of the front line between Messines and Ypres. On the 24th March 1918 Merv was sent to hospital ill and was diagnosed with scabies. However he rejoined his unit on the 30th March 1918.
Through April and May 1918 the 28th Battalion were situated near Ville sur Ancre and Morlancourt and in June and July 1918 were in the line near Villers-Bretonneux. Merv came through this period safely.
On August 8th 1918 the 28th Battalion advanced from Villers-Bretonneux as part of the Battle of Amiens. They took their objectives and for the next two months till October 4th 1918 were constantly in the line, helping to push the Germans back, seeing action at places such as Peronne, Mont St Quentin and Montbrehain.
Though casualties had been heavy during this time for the 28th battalion, Merv came through unscathed. After their last action on October 4th 1918, the 28th Battalion were pulled out of the line for a rest period.
On the 2nd November 1918, Merv was granted a two-week furlough to England. Merv was in England when the Armistice was declared and no doubt he would have had a great time. However he still had to rejoin is unit and on the 19th November 1918 he was back in France with the 28th Battalion.
The 28th Battalion would spend the next few months in places in France and Belgium that had been under German occupation during the war. They were based near Charleroi in Belgium.
On the 19th April 1919 Merv returned to England. He was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp but after a few weeks fell ill with influenza and was admitted to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. Fortunately Merv's health improved and he was released from hospital on the 21st May 1919.
It appears that Merv was then granted furlough until his troopship was departing. On the 15th June 1919 Merv boarded the Ormonde and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 24th July 1919. He was then discharged from the AIF.
In 1921 in Fremantle Merv married Gladys May Fordham and a daughter Gwen was born in 1924.
Merv and the family were living at 20 Allen Street East Fremantle and he was working in Fremantle as a clerk. The family then moved to Campsie Street in Shenton Park and in the 1940's moved to Loftus Street, before returning to Shenton Park.
Mervyn died on the 14th December 1970. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Lawn 6 0238