Hoare, Patrick
1163 Corporal Patrick Hoare - 3rd Pioneer Battalion AIF
Patrick Hoare was born in Benalla Victoria in 1889 to John and Nora Hoare. He had six siblings, with James (1885), Edward (1889), Maty (1891), Michael (1892), John (1896) and Josephine (1905).
The family moved to Western Australia in the 1900's and set up residence in North Fremantle, residing in Victoria Avenue. (Lter renamed to 115 Stirling Highway)
Patrick was a very good sportsman, being a Captain of the North Fremantle Amateur Football Club. They won the Western Australian Amateur Football League premiership in 1912.
He was working as a labourer in the Fremantle region when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force on the 16th November 1915.
The medical examiner passed him as fit for service and recorded Patrick's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 179lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37-40 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Black.
Upon his successful enlistment Patrick was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.37 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot camp.
On the 26th January 1916 Pat was transferred to the Australian Army Service Corps reinforcements. He was then transferred for further training to Victoria. On April 15th 1916 he was then transferred to "D" Company of the newly forming 3rd Pioneer Battalion. This unit was part of the new 3rd Australian Division.
For the next few months Pat continued training with this new unit in Victoria. On the 6th June 1916 the 3rd Pioneer Battalion departed from Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Wandilla and set sail for England, reaching Plymouth England on the 26th July 1916.
The 3rd Pioneer Battalion was then sent to the Salisbury Plains to begin training in England. This training took place over the next few months. In November 1916 Patrick fell ill and so did not go with his unit to France that month.
Patrick remained in England until the 28th February 1917 and then departed for France. From the 1st March 1917 he spent two weeks at the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot in Etaples and on the 15th March 1917 he was taken on strength of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion.
The 3rd Pioneer Battalion were then working at the front in the Armentieres region in Northern France to Ploegsteert in Southern Belgium. The 3rd Pioneers then worked mainly in Ploegsteert in the lead up to the Messines offensive in June 1917.
Patrick came through the Messines offensive of June 1917 unscathed and the Battalion remained in this sector till August 1917. On the 16th July Patrick had been appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal.
In September 1917 the 3rd Pioneers moved to Ypres where they took part in the current offensive taking place there. Patrick missed the lead in activity as he was given leave to England from 21st September to 2nd October 1917. However he had returned in time to see action in the offensive at Broodseinde Ridge on October 4th and the advance on Passchendaele on October 12th 1917.
He again came through these battles safely. From November 1917 to March 1918 the 3rd Pioneer Battalion remained in Belgium and were working in the area between Ypres and Messines.
As a result of the German offensive which broke through the British line to the south, the Australian Divisions were sent to the Somme area to help stop the German advance. The 3rd Pioneers went with the 3rd Australian Division to the Somme river area near Corbie, Sailly Le Sec, Sailly Laurette and Villers-Bretonneux.
The Germans were stopped but the 3rd Pioneers were busy constructing defences as well as rigging bridges and other vital areas with explosives in case the Germans forced another breakthrough. Fortunately no other breakthrough occurred, though on April 5th they launched another attack with emphasis on capturing Villers-Bretonneux but were stopped by the brave defence of the 3rd Division and British soldiers.
From April to June 1918 the 3rd Division remained in the Villers-Bretonneux sector. On July 4th 1918 they took part in the capture of Hamel village from the Germans.
On the 14th July Patrick was promoted to Corporal. On the 30th July Patrick was sent to England for a secondment with the Pioneer Training Battalion at Sutton Veny. He was on duty with the Pioneer Training School from the 2nd August to 21st September 1918. He was then sent to the Bombing School at Lyndhurst for a period of instruction. This lasted until the 15th November 1918.
The Armistice was signed when Patrick was in England but on the 15th November 1918 he was returned for duty to the Pioneer Training Battalion. On New Years Day 1919 Pat was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverell. He was waiting here to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 25th January 1919 Pat boarded the transport ship HMAT Ceramic and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 15th March 1919.
Patrick was disembarked from the AIF on the 23rd April 1919. He then returned to his pre war career of being a fireman.
In 1921 Patrick was living in Victoria Avenue North Fremantle and was working as a fireman.
By 1939 Pat was still living at 115 Victoria Avenue North Fremantle but by 1943 this had changed to 115 Stirling Highway North Fremantle. He remained there till his death in 1949.
In 1933 Patrick and another North Fremantle soldier Arthur Ives (4224 1st Pioneer Bn) were involved in an accident on the corner of Charles and Angove Street North Perth, when the van they were in from the Wyndham Meat Works collided with another vehicle which had run into them and pushed the van into a light post. Frank Elder, Patrick and Arthur were flung from the vehicle and Frank was killed as his head hit the light post. Patrick and Arthur survived their injuries. It was reported they were suffering from concussions and lacerations. The two passengers in the car, James Keady and James Brown survived unhurt.
Picture below from the 28th December 1933 edition of the West Australian Newspaper
Patrick Hoare died on the 13th October 1949. The newspaper reported that Patrick was found dead in his Stirling Highway home. He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic BA 0318.