Heffernan, William Benedict
1872 Private William Benedict Heffernan - 3rd Battalion Imperial Camel Corps & 10th Light Horse Regiment
William Heffernan was born in Perth WA on the 13th October 1893 to John and Mary Heffernan. He was one of four siblings, with, John 1887, Michael 1889 and Annie 1896.
His father died in 1896.
The family moved to Western Australia and William took up work with horses, becoming a jockey. The family lived in Mandurah Road South Fremantle.
On the 11th October 1915 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 inches tall;
Weight - 133lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Hazel;
Hair - Dark.
After his successful enlistment, William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the depot training squadron. He began training for the infantry but due to his work with horses, he requested a transfer to the Light Horse.
William passed the riding tests and on the 29th November 1915 was assigned to the 13th Reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment. He trained with this group in WA for several weeks but they then received their embarkation orders.
On the 17th January 1916, William and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in February 1916.
William did not join the 10th Light Horse Regiment as he was sent to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training regiment. Then ill health for the next seven months prevented him from joining the 10th Light Horse. He was sent between hospital and the 3rd Light Horse Brigade training regiment till the end of August 1916.
Now healthy, William was sent to join the 14th Company of the 3rd Battalion Imperial Camel Corps. He saw action with them at the end of 1916 but a bout of venereal disease saw him evacuated to hospital. He was a patient at the 14th Australian General Hospital at Cairo.
William rejoined his unit on the 31st January 1917. He served for the next six weeks but on the 9th March 1917 had another bout of ill health which necessitated another stay in Hospital.
He returned to the Imperial Camel Corps in time for the action at the First Battle of Gaza. He was wounded by shrapnel in the ankle, leg and thigh and was taken to hospital. At the same time an old illness flared up and he was sent to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital at El Arish.
Fortunately the wound was not severe and William returned to his unit on the 22nd June 1917. He spent a month with his unit and on the 24th July was transferred to the 1st Battalion Imperial Camel Corps. After a few days his old wound worsened and he was sent back to hospital for further treatment.
He was in hospital for the next few months, and on the 19th October 1917 joined the 4th Battalion Imperial Camel Corps. He served with them in the operations around Gaza and Beersheba.
On the 23rd November 1917 William again fell ill and was sent to the 2nd Australian Stationary hospital at Moascar. He was here for several weeks and on the 21st January 1918, rejoined the 3rd Battalion ICC. William remained with them till April 1918.
The Imperial Camel Corps were then disbanded and William was sent to Cairo for duty however he fell ill again and was sent to hospital.
On the 1st July 1918 William joined the 15th Light Horse Regiment and spent three weeks with them but was then transferred for service with the 10th light Horse Regiment. He served with them through the next few months apart from when he was detached for duty with the Australian Mounted Division for escort duties.
However he was with the 10th Light Horse Regiment in October 1918 when they helped capture Damascus. Turkey soon surrendered and was followed by the German surrender on the 11th November 1918. The following day William was detached for duty with the 3rd Light Horse Squadron Engineers. He returned to the 10th light Horse Regiment in December 1918.
He had a few other bouts of ill health in early 1919 which necessitated further hospital stay and also got into trouble for going absent without leave for a day. For this indiscretion he was fined 21 days pay.
On the 10th July 1919 William boarded the transport ship HMT Oxfordshire and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 4th August 1919. After being disembarked William was medically assessed at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle.
William was then discharged from the AIF on the 26th September 1919.
After his return home, William went to work as a horse trainer
By 1931 he was living at Ascot Road Belmont and was doing well as a horse trainer, with many good results. In 1935 the horse he trained called Desert Hero won the 1935 Railway Stakes. He followed this up in 1938 with another win in the Railway Stakes with the horse Tetreen.
By 1939 he was living and working on Great Eastern Highway Belmont then moving to Lyall Street Belmont in 1943.
William Heffernan died in Perth on the 30th August 1954 aged 60. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic 0247.