Hettich, George Thomas
7726 Private George Thomas Hettich (Hettick) - 11th Battalion AIF
George Thomas Hettich (Hettick) was born in Fremantle WA on the 29th April 1887 to George and Mary Hettich, being one of four siblings in the family. His father had been born in Germany in 1862 but came to WA in the 1880's and married Mary Davies in Perth in 1886.
The family lived at Jarrahdale before moving to Fremantle.
George was educated locally and after leaving school he took up employment as a boot maker.
Prior to the Great War the family was living at 551 Edmund Street Beaconsfield. (later renumbered to 111 Edmund St)
George was married on the 2nd September 1914 to Ivy Louise Newbound at St Paul's Beaconsfield and a son Leonard was born in 1915.
On the 7th March 1917 George 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 9 inches;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
hair - Fair.
Upon his successful enlistment, George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where hew as assigned to the Depot training unit. After a few weeks of being taken through the basics of infantry work, George was assigned to the 26th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion.
George was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal for the period of training and the voyage to England. On the 29th June 1917 George and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda. The ship then set sail for England, disembarking at Plymouth on the 25th August 1917.
George was then disembarked and was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He also now reverted to the rank of Private. George would remain training in England for the next few months and a bout of tonsilitis would also see him spend some time in hospital.
It was not until the 16th January 1918 that George made his way to France. He was taken on strength of the 11th battalion on the 23rd January 1918. The 11th battalion were then in Belgium, helping to hold the front line south east of Ypres, between Hollebeke and Messines.
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 11th 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 Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here.
However on the 23rd March 1918 George had badly sprained his ankle and was sent to the 35th General Hospital at Calais. He then had a few weeks in the convalescent camp and only rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 6th May 1918. The 11th battalion would remain in this area near Merris and Meteren till the end of July 1918.
The 11th Battalion was then 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 11th 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 Lihons. The Germans had well entrenched positions and unleashed a heavy machine gun fire on the advancing men of the 11th Battalion. Many of the 11th Battalion were killed and wounded by this fire and George sustained wounds to his face and back.
After having his wounds treated on the battlefield, George was sent to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen. However he only had a few days there and was then shipped to England, where upon arrival George was sent to the Norwich war Hospital in Norfolk. George would be a patient here for the next few months.
On the 28th October 1918 George was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. The following day he was granted a two week furlough. George was due to report back on the 12th November 1918, but as the Armistice was announced the previous day, George had decided to taken another day of unofficial leave.
For reporting back a day later to camp than expected George was fined one days pay. He then spent a few weeks at No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. On the 27th November 1918 he was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth and would wait here to be assigned a berth on a ship home.
On the 12th December 1918 George boarded the transport ship Nestor and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 18th January 1919. George was discharged from the AIF on the 16th July 1919.
After he returned from war and had two more children, Jack 1919 and Lois in 1922.
The family were living at "Canberra" 14 Healey St Beaconsfield. (later renumbered to 8 Healey and renamed to Hale St).
In 1931 they moved to 7 Bateman Street Fremantle and George was still working as a clerk for Fremantle Municipal Council. They lived at Bateman Street through to World War Two.
Georg'e mother died in 1935 and his father in 1940.
In World War 2 George enlisted for service again. He was given the service number W237627 and assigned to the Australian Army Medical Corps. He served though to 1947 when he was discharged.
In 1943 the family moved to Shenton Park and in the 1950's to Robison st Claremont.
George died on the 4th September 1960 aged 73. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Anglican ZR 0546.
His wife Ivy died in 1966.