Hemphill, Robert Pinker
4746 Private Robert Pinker Hemphill - 17th Anzac Light Railway Company
Robert Pinker Hemphill was born in Perth WA in 1889 to John and Amelia Hemphill.
He had his early years and was educated in Perth before moving to Fremantle. He was working for the WA Government Railways.
Robert was married in 1912 to Ivy Ellen Callaghan and they lived at 100 Glyde Street East Fremantle (later renumbered) then moving to Ord Street Fremantle.
A Son John was born in 1912 followed by a daughter Elsie in 1915.
His Father John died in Northam in 1914.
In 1915 Robert and his family had moved to 7 Dorothy Street Fremantle. (Later renumbered to 8 Dorothy St).
On the 16th February 1916 Robert 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 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 149lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Robert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was sent into the depot training unit. He spent the next few weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work.
On the 1st April 1916 Robert was then assigned to the 12th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF. He had two weeks of training with this group in WA when their embarkation orders arrived. They then entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Aeneas on the 17th April 1916. The ship then set sail for England, arriving there in June 1916.
Robert and his group were then sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He would remain training in England for the next few months. On the 15th September 1916 he proceeded overseas to France and was sent to the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples.
He received further training here but his stay was extended when he contracted mumps. He was then sent to the isolation hospital and when he recovered he was then sent to the 28th battalion, joining them on the 27th November 1916.
The 28th Battalion were then situated on the Somme battlefield and were undergoing a very cold French winter. Robert would only remain with the 28th battalion for around seven weeks. On the 16th January 1917 he was transferred to the newly forming Australian Railway Corps. Robert was assigned to the Anzac Light Railway Company. The name of the unit was the 17th Anzac Light Railway Operating Company.
The HQ Depot of his new unit was at Harfleur France. The units main role was to transport men and supplies around France and Belgium. While working for his unit, Robert damaged his knee in June 1917 and was sent to hospital, added to which he soon had tonsilitis.
After a lengthy stay in hospital Robert rejoined his unit on the 19th August 1917. Two weeks later he was granted a fortnight's leave to England. He returned on the 23rd September 1917 and served with his unit for another month but was then sent to hospital suffering from lumbago. He recovered and rejoined his unit on the 2nd November 1917.
In March 1918 Robert's unit was rename to the 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company. Robert served continuously till the 18th September 1918 when he was granted a fortnight's leave to England. He fell ill while in England and ended up remaining there till the 26th October 1918.
On his return to the unit Robert was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was with his unit when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918. He then remained with the Railway unit till the 30th December 1918. Robert then fell ill and was sent to hospital in France for the next few weeks. On the 29th January 1919 Robert was shipped to England where he was admitted to Queen's Alexander Hospital at Millbank. He was suffering from valvular disease of the heart.
Robert remained in hospital for a month and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would stay here while waiting to be assigned a berth on a ship home. On the 19th April 1919 Robert boarded the ship Marathon and set sail for Australia, arriving at Fremantle on the 31st May 1919.
Robert was discharged from the AIF on the 11th July 1919.
His mother had died in Northam in early May 1919 so he just missed seeing her before she died.
After his return home the family were initially residing at 32 Howard Street Fremantle (later renumbered as 16 Howard Street)
They then moved to 13 Price Street Fremantle in the early 1920's. (later renumbered to 19 Price Street)
In 1931 the family moved to 12 Rose Street South Fremantle (later renumbered to 16 Rose street).
In World War Two the family moved to 22 Queen Victoria Street Fremantle and Robert was still employed with WAGR as a ganger.
Robert died at Hollywood Repatriation Hospital on the 10th April 1955 aged 65. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.