5784 Private Norman Stanley Hellard - 27th Battalion AIF
Norman Stanley Hellard was born on the 17th November 1892 in Ballarat Victoria to Isaac and Phoebe Hellard. He was educated and grew up in Ballarat.
Worked in the mining industry and also served for seven years in the local Ballarat Regiment of the Citizens Military Forces.
Norm came to Western Australia prior to the Great War and found employment as a Clerk. He took up residence at 93 Alexander Road South Fremantle.
Norm enlisted on the 16th February 1916 in Fremantle and was accepted as fit for service into the Australian Imperial Force. The Medical Examiner recorded Norm's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 139lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-35 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Dark.
After his successful enlistment, Norm was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.53 Training Depot. He had a few weeks there and was then assigned to the 18th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. On the 1st May he was transferred to the 13th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion but was only there for a few days before being moved to Claremont Camp where he was assigned to the Machine Gun section of the 44th Battalion with the regimental number 243.
However, Norm did not embark with the 44th Battalion but remained in WA and was then sent to the 23rd Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion, and in October 1916 was transferred to the 16th Reinforcements to the 27th battalion AIF. His regimental number now changed to 5784.
The 27th Battalion was a South Australian unit but also took reinforcements from other states. He had around seven weeks training with this group in WA. On the 30th October 1916 this reinforcement group left Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Port Melbourne and set sail for England, reaching Devonport Harbour on the 28th December 1916.
Norm and his group were then disembarked and were sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He had the next six weeks in England training. However, on the 2nd February 1917 Norm was transferred to the Australian Army Pay Corps section.
Norm would spend 1917-1918 in England working as a clerk at AIF HQ in London.
In February 1918 Norm was sent to hospital ill with influenza which seemed to lead to a few months of ill health. On the 11th March 1918 Norm was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth and he remained there till September 1918. He then boarded a transport ship home to Australia, arriving in Fremantle on the 17th November 1918.
Norm was discharged from the AIF on the 2nd July 1919.
Norm only spent a short time in WA as he soon returned to Victoria.
He was initially living at Geelong where he was working as a clerk-secretary.
In 1924 he married Helene Hasset and they would have several children including, David 1925, Peter 1926, Richard 1930 and Margret 1936.
In 1925 they moved to Camberwell Victoria and lived there through to the late 1930's. Norm was now working as a storeman.
In 1942 the family moved to Caulfield Victoria.
Norm died on the 26th September 1957 at Caulfield. He was buried at Springvale Cemetery.
