Hewitt, Albert Clarence Sydney
6273 Private Albert Clarence Sydney Hewitt - 28th Battalion & 5th Battalion AIF
Albert Clarence Sydney Hewitt was born in Footscray Victoria in 1888 to William and Mary Hewitt, being one of eleven siblings. The family moved to the WA goldfields circa 1905.
Albert's Father died in 1906 in Coolgardie and his brother Edwin died in Coolgardie 1909.
By 1912 Albert was working and living at Tammin, but by 1914/15 was at Canning Road East Fremantle.
On the 7th March 1915 Albert enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 fee 6 inches;
Weight - 9 stone 8;
Chest Measurement - 34 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Green;
Hair - Black.
Upon his successful enlistment, Albert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the Training Depot. He had a few weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work and was then transferred to "D" Company of the 28th Battalion AIF.
The 28th Battalion trained in WA until they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Ascanius” on the 29th June 1915. After their arrival in Egypt in July they were given further training and were soon told to prepare to head for Gallipoli.
However Albert was not with them. He had contracted venereal disease and under the strict rules of the AIF, men who had contracted this disease were returned to Australia. While his mates were preparing to head for Gallipoli, on the 4th August 1915 Albert boarded the transport ship Port Lincoln and set sail for Australia.
On arrival in Victoria Albert was sent to the Venereal Disease hospital at Langwarrin. He recovered and remained in Victoria, being posted to Broadmeadows Army Camp. He then was assigned into the 20th Reinforcements to the 5th Battalion AIF.
On the 11th September 1916 Albert departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Euripides. The ship then set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 26th October 1916. He was then disembarked and sent to the 2nd Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.
Albert trained here for the next two months and on the 12th January 1917 was sent across to France, being taken on strength of the 5th battalion on the 16th January 1917. The 5th battalion were then situated on the Somme battlefield near Flers and Delville Wood.
Just two weeks after joining the 5th Battalion, Albert was evacuated after having fractured his ankle. He was sent to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen. After a few days here Albert was evacuated to England where he was sent to the 2nd Birmingham War Hospital. He had a few weeks here as a patient and on the 22nd February was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford where he stayed till the 23rd March 1917. He was then granted a two week furlough and reported back on the 7th April 1917.
However a week after returning to Dartford, Albert was transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He left this hospital on the 9th May 1917 and was then transferred to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham.
After a week at this camp Albert was transferred to join the 65th battalion of the newly forming 6th Australian Division. He would train with this new unit in England for the next few months, however with not enough reinforcements coming from Australia, the 6th Division was disbanded in September 1917 and the men returned to their previous units.
Albert returned to France on the 9th October 1917 and had a week at the 1st Australian Base Depot Camp at Le Havre. He then rejoined the 5th Battalion on the 17th October 1917.
The 5th Battalion were then holding the front line near Passchendaele in Belgium and they would remain there for the next month. In December 1917 the 5th battalion were shifted south east of Ypres and they helped hold the front line between Hollebeke and Messines from December 1917 to March 1918.
On the 24th January 1918 Albert went absent without leave for two days and when he reported back, he was punished with 28 days of field punishment No.2. This punishment often involved soldiers performing heavy physical labor, hard work, and dirty camp chores, plus extra drills in their full kit.
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 when they broke through the British front in the southern sector, the five Australian divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this advance. The 5th Battalion, as part of the 1st Australian Division was the last of the divisions to leave Belgium and had just arrived near Amiens when the Germans broke through the line in Belgium and made a speedy advance into northern France. The 1st Australian Division was then returned north and met the Germans around Nieppe Forrest, Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here.
On the 22nd April 1918 Albert went absent without leave till the 24th April. On reporting back he was given 8 days of Field Punishment No.2 and was fiend 11 days pay.
The 5th Battalion saw much action in this area, including raids on the German positions and patrol work. On the 19th May 1918 Albert was wounded but remained on duty.
Bu early August 1918, the 5th Battalion was moved south to Villers-Bretonneux where they would take part in the large advance that was due to take place on August 8th 1918.
The 5th Battalion didn't take part in the first day of the advance but went into the line on the 9th August 1918 and on the following day attacked the German positions at Rosieres. The Germans had well entrenched positions and unleashed a heavy machine gun fire on the advancing men of the 5th Battalion. Many of the 5th Battalion were killed and wounded by this fire and Albert was hit in the shoulder by a bullet.
After medical treatment at the 15th Australian Field Ambulance he was sent to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station. He spent a short time here and was then put on an ambulance train which took him to the French town of Camieres. On arrival Albert was admitted to the 22nd General Hospital.
Fortunately the wound was not severe and after a week Albert was released from hospital and was then sent to No.6 Convalescent Camp at Etaples. After a few more weeks here Albert rejoined the 5th Battalion on the 11th September 1918. The 5th battalion saw their last major action on September 18th 1918 and they were then withdrawn from the line for a well deserved rest.
On the 12th October 1918 Albert was granted a fortnight's leave to the UK, returning to France on the 26th October 1918.
When the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918, the 5th Battalion had been preparing to return to the front line. Instead, once the Germans had withdrawn behind their own borders, the Australians were sent to garrison the areas of France and Belgium which had been under German control during the war.
Albert remained with the 5th Battalion till March 1919. On the 20th March 1919 he left France and proceeded to England and was sent to a camp at Heytesbury. He would now remain here while waiting to be assigned a berth on a ship home.
On the 12th may 1919 Albert went to Devonport Harbour where he boarded the troopship Soudan. The ship then set sail for Australia, arriving at Fremantle on the 21st June 1919. After being disembarked Albert was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital Fremantle for a medical check.
Albert was discharged from the AIF on the 13th August 1919.
Not long after his return Albert's mother died.
He then returned to prospecting in the Goldfields, mainly around Coolgardie but in the 1930's ventured further afield to Norseman.
Albert died on the 10th July 1939 at Norseman.