Hammond, Joseph James
3862 Private Joseph James Hammond - 51st Battalion AIF
Joseph James Hammond was born in Fremantle WA on the 5th November 1897 to Joseph and Mary Hammond. He was one of five siblings, with, Emily 1885, Hilda 1893, George 1895 and Walter 1900. The family were then living at Attfield Street Fremantle. It appears that his father died while he was still young in 1899.
The children were then brought up by their mother and relations in Fremantle, residing at 111 Alexander Road Fremantle. Joseph was educated locally and after leaving school he took up employment as a stable hand. During this time he also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.
On the 1st May 1917 Joseph enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet tall;
Weight - 118lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Fair.
After his successful enlistment, Joseph was sent to Blackboy hill Camp where he was assigned to the 12th Reinforcements to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. He trained with this group for a few weeks but on the 24th June 1917 was discharged as medically unfit due to sickness.
When he had recovered Joe enlisted again in Fremantle on the 22nd August 1917. After spending a month at the training depot at Blackboy Hill Camp, Joe was assigned to the 13th Reinforcements to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. However on the 3rd October 1917 he was transferred to the 11th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF.
He trained with this group in WA for four weeks when their embarkation orders arrived. On the 30th October 1917 Joe and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Aeneas in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, reaching Devonport on the 27th December 1917.
After being disembarked Joe and his group were sent to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford Camp. On the 15th January 1918 he was sent to hospital with influenza, returning to his training battalion on the 12th February 1918.
Joe remained in England training for the next few months. On the 23rd April 1918 he was sent across to France. After a few days in the base depot camp at Etaples, Joe was taken on strength of the 51st battalion on the 1st May 1918.
The 51st Battalion had just come out of the line after their successful recapture of Villers-Bretonneux. They were soon returned to the front line nearby. On the 16th June Joe was evacuated ill but only spent twelve days away from his unit.
Through July 1918 the 51st battalion remained near Villers-Bretonneux and then took part in the 8th August advance. The 51st Battalion then moved north of the Somme River to Bray. They then rejoined the 4th Division south of the Somme and continued to drive the Germans back.
The 51st Battalion saw their last action on September 18th 1918. They were then pulled out of the line for a well deserved rest. On the 4th October 1918 Joe fell ill with appendicitis and was sent to the 41st Stationary Hospital. He was here for a few weeks before being sent to the 16th General Hospital at Le Treport.
Joe was still a patient here when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918. Two days later he was shipped to England and was admitted to hospital in Birmingham. He was there for a week and on the 21st November 1918 was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.
On the 6th December 1918 Joe was well enough to be granted a two week furlough. On the 20th December 1918 he then reported into No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would now wait here to be assigned a berth on a transport ship home. On the 7th February 1919 Joe boarded the transport ship Lancashire and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 11th March 1919.
Joe was discharged from the AIF on the 24th April 1919.
He then returned home to Alexander Road and found work in Fremantle as a despatch hand. In 1922 Joe was living at 23 Queen Victoria Street Fremantle. (Later renamed to 20 Queen Victoria Street)
Joe was married in 1923 to Blanche Constance Mary Lock and they took up residence in the Goldfields and Joe found work as a Trucker. They would have three children, Daphne, Elaine and Robert.
Prior to his enlistment in World War Two they were living at Hamilton Street Boulder.
On the 11th November 1941 Joe enlisted into the Australian Army in World War Two. He was assigned the service number W26707 and was assigned to the 5th Garrison Battalion. He served in the coastal areas of Perth and in March 1943 he was transferred to the 29th Garrison Battalion. He was based at Melville Army Camp till November 1944 and was then transferred to the 10th Garrison Battalion.
Joe only served with the 10th Garrison Battalion for a month as he was discharged from service in December 1944.
During his military service Joe's address was at 24 Queen Vic Street Fremantle.
After his discharged from the Army Joe returned to the Goldfields. He died in Kalgoorlie on the 12th January 1952 and was buried in Kalgoorlie Cemetery.