Terry de Bohun Helm

Terry de Bohun Helm

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Sydney, New South Wales
Death	18 May 1919
Age at Enlistment	18 years, 7 months
Description	5'11½" (1.82m) tall ; 155lbs 70.307 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Noel de Bohun Helm
Military Information
Reg Number	872
Date of Enlistment	16 Jun 1915
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	32nd Battalion, C Company transferred to 14th Field Artillery Brigade, 54th Battery
Date of Embarkation	24 Nov 1915 ‒ 18 Dec 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A13 Katuna
Date of Return	12 Mar 1918 ‒ 23 Apr 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Kenilworth Castle to Durban
Date of Return	1 May 1918 ‒ 13 May 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Field Marshall Durban to Fremantle
Fate	Returned to Australia (Medical)
Monument	none at present
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 6 Jun 1915, and on 16 Aug 1915 he was allocated to 'C' Company of the 32nd Battalion, travelling with them to Suez in Egypt. On 3 Sep 1915 Terry was appointed Lance Corporal. On 30 Jan 1916 Terry was charged with being AWOL until arrested by MPs in Ismailia, Egypt. Found guilty he was reprimanded. In Egypt as a result of the reorganisation of the units in the AIF, Terry was transferred to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade's 54th Battery on 15 Mar 1916 in Tel-el-Kebir, reverting to Gunner.

On 20 Jun 1916 he and his unit boarded HMT Huntsend a captured German ship previously known as SS Lutzow in Alexandria for Marseilles in southern France, arriving there and disembarking on 30 Jun 1916. An early attack of appendicitis on 20 Oct 1916 saw Terry referred to the 2nd New Zealand Field Ambulance who passed him on next day to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station and then on 24 Oct 1916 to the 8th Stationary Hospital in Wimereux. By 26 Oct 1916 he was released to the 1st Convalescent Depot in Boulogne and on 27 Oct he was declared fit for duty.

On 20 Nov 1916 Terry transferred to the 5th Division Ammunition Column, remaining with them until he fell ill again in Feb 1917. On 13 Feb 1917 Terry presented to the 1st Field Ambulance with severe appendicitis before being sent on via the 1st SM Casualty Clearing Station (13 - 19 Feb 1917) to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen which he entered on 20 Feb 1917.

On 1 Mar 1917, suffering from acute appendicitis, Terry was embarked at Le Havre on HMHS Formosa for England where he was admitted to the 1st London General Hospital in Camberwell. Released on 22 Mar 1917 to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital where he remained building his strength until 12 Apr 1917. From 3 May 1917, he spent time at Larkhill as an acting Sergeant, reverting to Gunner on 12 Sep 1917. Terry was admitted to the Fargo Military Hospital on 3 Oct 1917 suffering with acute synovitis in his left knee, and on 20 Jan 1918 Terry faced a Medical Board as a result of the synovitis. The injury resulted from a bad fall from a bicycle at Lark Hill. The result was that on 15 Feb 1918 it was decided that he was unfit for all service and would be returned to Australia.

Back in Australia he was admitted to the 8th Australian General Hospital in Fremantle from 14 May 1918 until 25 Oct 1918 for treatment to his knee. Discharged at the 5th Military District on 8 Nov 1918.

Notes

Buried North Road Church of England Cemetery, Adelaide, SA