Hummerston, Herbert
428 Private Herbert Hummerston - 44th Battalion AIF
Herbert Hummerston was born in Sydney NSW Australia in 1874 to George and Georgina Hummerston.
Much of his early life in NSW and WA is unknown but it appears that Herbert did see service in the Boer War.
Prior to the Great War Herbert was living at 17 Tuckfield Street Fremantle (later renumbered to 14 Tuckfield) and was working as a warehouseman and Horse Driver.
On the 8th January 1916 Herbert 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 6 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 128lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Black.
Upon his successful enlistment Herbert was sent to No.44 Infantry Training Depot at Claremont Showgrounds Camp. He had over a week here being taken through the basics of infantry work and then on the 28th January 1916 was transferred to "B" Company of the 44th Battalion with the regimental number 428.
Herbert trained with the 44th Battalion for the next few months in WA while they waited for the departure orders to arrive. These finally came though and on the 6th June 1916 the 44th Battalion boarded the transport ship HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour. The journey to England took just over six weeks and the ship arrived at Plymouth Harbour on the 21st July 1916.
After being disembarked the 44th Battalion were sent to the 3rd Division Training area on the Salisbury Plains and remained there till November 1916. During this time the men were also given leave and Herbert would have seen London or other parts of England.
On the 25th November the 44th Battalion arrived at Southampton Harbour where they boarded a transport ship for the journey across the Channel to France. After their arrival they were sent to the Armentieres region where they remained until March 1917.
However Herbert's front line career would only last a few weeks. On the 17th December 1916 he was sent to hospital suffering from influenza and trench feet. The freezing conditions of the frontline areas had an adverse affect on Herbert's health.
He was sent to the 13th General Hospital at Boulogne before being transferred to Le Havre on the 6th January 1917. Herbert was then transferred to England. On arrival he was admitted to Edmonton Military Hospital where he would spend the next few weeks. On the 20th February 1917 Herbert was released from hospital and was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs.
Herbert only remained at Perham Downs Camp for a few days and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. Over the next few months his health would be monitored to see if it improved enough to be sent back to France but it continued to deteriorate and he was classified as fitness level C3.
On the 26th September 1917 Herbert was sent to the transport ship HMAT Borda, which took him back to Australia, arriving at Fremantle on the 12th November 1917.
Herbert was discharged from the AIF on the 3rd December 1917 the official reason being rheumatism. After his return home Herbert returned to his wife at 17 Tuckfield Street Fremantle.
In the early 1920's he moved to Aurelian St Palmyra and was working locally as a Mill hand.
By 1936 Herbert was living at 174 Aberdeen Street Perth.
Herbert died on the 25th July 1937 aged 63. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Anglian OA 0362.