Hill, William Ernest
2424 Private William Ernest Hill - 51st Battalion AIF
William was born on the 1st June 1892 in Albert Park Victoria to William and Catherine Hill, with siblings Evan 1890, Stanley 1896 and George 1905.
The family moved to WA in the early 1900's. His Father died in 1905 in Fremantle leaving his Mother Catherine to bring up the kids. She remarried in Fremantle in 1908 to James Levey and Jessica was born in 1909 and Jean in 1911.
When he was 18, William Hill was in a relationship with Amy Herd and a daughter Ida was born in 1910 and Henrietta in 1913.
He married Amy in Fremantle in 1913 and Phyllis was born in 1915.
Prior to the Great War William and Amy were living at 24 Norfolk Street Fremantle with Amy's parents before moving down the street to 16 Norfolk Street. During this time William was employed as a Wicker Worker.
On the 3rd March 1916 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner passed him as fit for service and recorded William's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 2 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 107lbs;
Chest Measurement - 29-33 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment William was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was put into the Depot training unit. He spent several weeks here on basic infantry training and was then assigned to the 5th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF.
William trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 20th September 1916 William and his group entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMT Uganda. The ship then set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth Harbour on the 15th November 1916.
On being disembarked William and his group were sent to the 13th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. He only had a few weeks in England, for on the 12th December 1916 he was sent across to France. William was then sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples.
William was only here for a few days when he was hospitalised ill. He was diagnosed with venereal disease and was admitted to the 51st General Hospital at Etaples. He would be here for the next two months and on the 13th February 1917 was returned to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot.
On the 15th April 1917 William was taken on strength of the 51st Battalion AIF. The 51st Battalion was then in the Bullecourt sector of the Western Front. William served with them for the next month but on the 23rd May 1917 was evacuated ill. He was diagnosed with myalgia and was sent to the 2nd Australian General Hospital at Wimereux.
On the 31st May 1917 William was shipped to England and was admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital. On the 29th June 1917 he was then transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. He was released from hospital in early July 1917.
William's fitness level had been downgraded and he would spend the next few months in the AIF Camps in England while he regained full fitness. William returned to France on the 21st October 1917 and after a few days at the Base Depot, he rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 2nd November 1917.
The 51st Battalion were then in the Ypres sector near Passchendaele. In December 1917 they were sent for a short stint at Peronne but returned to Belgium in January 1918. From January to March 1918, the 51st Battalion helped to hold the front line in Belgium south east of Ypres, between Hollebeke and Messines.
On the 21st March 1918, the Germans had launched a massive assault which had broken through the British lines further south. The Australian Divisions in Belgium where then sent south to the Somme to help stop this German advance. William and the 51st Battalion were sent to an area between the French towns of Albert and Dernancourt and they came into contact with the Germans in late March 1918.
The Australians, including William's unit, helped stop the Germans at Dernancourt. However in April the Germans launched another large attack which captured Villers-Bretonneux. A counter attack was immediately ordered and the 51st Battalion played a large role in this attack. The 51st Battalion succeeded in capturing their objectives, however casualties were very heavy. William came through this attack unscathed.
The 51st Battalion would remain around Villers-Bretonneux but on the 9th May 1918 William fell ill and was diagnosed with trench fever. He was sent tot he 12th USA General Hospital at Rouen. He was only here for five days but then spent a few weeks in the convalescent depot camps. William rejoined his unit on the 13th July 1918.
On August 8th 1918 the advance from Villers-Bretonneux commenced which put the Germans on retreat. The Australians, British and Canadian divisions pushed the Germans back along the front and for the next few months kept advancing. After the first day action, the 51st Battalion were sent north of the Somme River and advanced towards the French town of Bray. After successful operations here, they were returned south of the Somme.
On the 10th September 1918 William was given two weeks leave to England and therefore missed the 51st Battalions last action of the war on the 18th September 1918.
He returned to his unit on the 29th September 1918. When the Armistice was signed on the 11th November 1918 the 51st Battalion were still out of the line. The Germans now withdrew to within their own borders and the Australian units went into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France.
After the Armistice, William had a short stint in hospital with influenza but returned in early December 1918. From December 1918 to May 1919 the Australians remained in France and Belgium. William remained in France till the 8th April 1919. He then returned to England and was put in the AIF Camp at Hurdcott to await being assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 4th June 1919 William boarded the transport ship Bremen and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 16th July 1919. William was discharged from the AIF on the 23rd August 1919.
William then returned home to Fremantle, reuniting with his family. He resumed employment as a Wicker Worker. Further children were born, Joan in 1920 and Jessie in 1926. By 1925 the family were living at 105 south street. (later renumbered to 47 South Street)
His mother died in Fremantle in 1927. The family then moved to North Fremantle, taking up residence at 23 Burns st North Fremantle. they lived here for a few years before moving to 5 Thompson Road North Fremantle
Later in the 1930's they moved to 9 Herbert Street North Fremantle.
Sadly, his daughter Joan died in 1939 aged just 19.
In 1943 the family moved to 91 Stirling Highway North Fremantle. William was still employed as a wicker worker. They lived here through to the 1950's
William Hill died on the 7th November 1955 aged 63. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A3 0667