Walter Hayward

Walter Hayward

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1881
Place of Birth	Richmond,Yorkshire, England
Death	3 Nov 1964, aged 83
Place of Death	Gosnells, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	33 years, 4 months
Description	5'5½" (1.66m) tall ; 136lbs 61.689 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	poultry farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Minnie Hayward
Military Information
Reg Number	871
Date of Enlistment	16 Mar 1915
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, D Company
Date of Embarkation	29 Jun 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A11 Ascanius
Date of Return	20 Dec 1918
Ship Returned On	RMS Orontes
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Gosnells Primary School Honour Roll
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Married Minnie ??? Minnie died on 28 Dec 1933. Required dental treatment before he was passed fit.

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 16 Mar 1915 and was initially a member of the 13th Depot Company. A month later he was allocated to the 1st reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion, and on 26 Apr 1915 he was taken on their strength and posted to D Company, travelling with them to Egypt. On 4 Sep 1915 the battalion proceeded to Gallipoli aboard HMT Ivernia. Following a relatively quiet time on the peninsular they returned to Alexandria on 10 Jan 1916 from Mudros aboard HMT Ausonia.

Following the reorganisation of the AIF in Egypt the 28th Battalion sailed from Alexandria for Marseilles in France late on 16 Mar 1916 aboard HMAT A32 Themistocles, arriving in Marseilles mid afternoon of 21 Mar 1916.

On 28 Jul 1916 the 28th Battalion were involved in an unsuccessful attack on German positions near the windmill, suffering very heavy casualties. Walter was one of the few that survived this action, but on 5 Aug 1916 in a subsequent attack on OG1 and OG2 trenches near the windmill, Walter was wounded in his right arm. Treated first by the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance, he was sent back to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station the same day before being placed on a Hospital train for the 3rd Stationary Hospital in Rouen where he was admitted on 6 Aug 1916. The next day he was evacuated from Rouen to England aboard HMHS St Patrick, and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 8 Aug 1916. He remained in the hospital until he was released to the depot at Perham Downs on 24 Oct 1916.

Granted furlough on 27 Oct 1916, he was charged with being AWOL from 3:00pm on 10 Nov until 3:45 pm on 14 Nov 1916, so he had extended his leave but paid for it with 7 days extra duty and the loss of 5 day's pay. After a period of recovery, Walter was sent to France again on 14 Dec 1916 through Folkestone where he boarded SS Princess Henriette. After six days in the Division's base depot, he rejoined the 28th Battalion on 21 Dec 1916. On 10 Feb 1917 he was appointed Lance Corporal, and from 29 Mar to 25 Apr 1917 he acted as Corporal in the absence of his normal section head.

Promoted Temporary Corporal on 3 May 1917 Walter was wounded a second time on 3 May 1917 at the battle known as 2nd Bullecourt with shrapnel wounds to his legs, arm, head and chest. The 28th Battalion was in support, but was caught by the enemy counter bombardment using shrapnel and gas. Walter received multiple shrapnel wounds and was first treated by the 6th Australian Field Ambulance who then sent him to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station where he was held overnight before being placed on an Ambulance Train for the 24th General Hospital in Étaples where he was treated form 7 - 17 May 1917. Evacuated to England aboard HS Pieter de Coninck on 18 May 1917 where he was admitted to the Clandon Park Hospital. Discharged to duty on 17 Aug 1917 he was sent to the No 2 Command Depot in Weymouth to recover his strength before being moved to Codford on 12 Sep 1917 for overseas training at the Sandhill camp. On 15 Nov 1971 he proceeded to France for a third time, this time through Southampton.

On 22 Nov 1917 he had rejoined the 28th Battalion. From 10 - 18 Feb 1918 he enjoyed leave in Paris, and otherwise remained out of trouble during the AUstralian advance up the Somme valley from 8 Aug 1918 until 3 Sep 1918. On 2 Sep 1918 the 7th Brigade, including the 28th Battalion had secured the land east of Mount St Quentin, and the German troops were in disarray with many fleeing ahead of the Australians for the village of Aizecourt-le-Haut.

Early in the morning of 3 Sep 1918 a small group of soldiers from the 28th Battalion were detached to clean out a series of German posts still active in the Antigone Trench. It is probable that during this attack, Walter was wounded for a third time, with a gunshot wound to the head. Treated by the 5th Australian Field Ambulance the same day, he was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station the next day before being placed aboard an Ambulance Train on 5 Sep 1918 for Rouen where he was admitted to the 5th General Hospital on 7 Sep 1918. Evacuated to England the same day, he was admitted to the Exeter War Hospital on 8 Sep 1918.

On 4 Nov 1918 he was released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford and then granted furlough from 6 - 20 Nov 1918. A month after his return to duty he was on his way to Australia as a medical case - concussion.

Discharged by the 5th Military District on 1 Apr 1919.