Herbert James Reed

Herbert James Reed

Western Mail 23 Feb 1917, page 31
Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1892
Place of Birth	Warracknabeal, Victoria
Death	13 Sep 1969
Place of Death	Subiaco, Western Australia.
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 9 months
Description	5'6½" (1.69m) tall ; 126lbs 57.153 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Farm hand
Religion	Methodist
Address	East Brookton, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr George Reed
Military Information
Reg Number	2980
Date of Enlistment	5 May 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	48th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement, posted to B Company.
Date of Embarkation	9 Nov 1916 ‒ 10 Jan 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A8 Argyllshire Fremantle to Devonport
Date of Return	15 Feb 1918 ‒ 8 Apr 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Llanstephan Castle
Fate	WIA 15 Jul 1917 WIA 12 Oct 1017 Passchendaele Returned to Australia - medical
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Gosnells Ward Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries: 1915 - 1916 Brookton, farm labourer;

War Service

Herbert entered Blackboy Hill camp on 5 May 1916 and was initially allocated to the 4th reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion. However, on 3 Oct 1916 this was changed to the 7th draft for the 48th Battalion.

On arrival in England Herbert was sent to the 12th Training Battalion at Camp 14 in Codford to refine his skills for service on the Western Front. On 29 Feb 1917 he then proceeded overseas to France via Southampton, and entered the 4th Division's Base Depot at Le Have the next day. Herbert was taken on strength by the 48th Battalion at Clairmarias, well back from the front on 21 Jun 1917. The 48th was then rebuilding after a time in the line.

At 9:30pm on 15 Jul 1917 a 48th Battalion working party was moving along a road when it was on the receiving end of a heavy enemy bombardment that killed 2 men and injured 7 others, two of them severely. Herbert was one of those wounded, and was treated by the 13th Field Ambulance early on 16 Jul 1917. He was passed to the 4th Field Ambulance who then cared for him until 28 Jul 1917, treating him for a shell wound to his heel. They released him to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station who placed him on an Ambulance Train for the 15th Casualty Clearing Station where he spent 28 Jul to 1 Aug 1917, before being deemed fit enough to rejoin his unit.

On 12 Oct 1917 Herbert, (along with his brother Ernest William) was amongst the 371 casualties from 621 members of the battalion that participated in the attack, in atrocious conditions, on Passchendaele. Like Ernest he was treated by the 4th New Zealand Field Ambulance before being admitted to the 7th Canadian Stationary Hospital at Le Havre on 13 Oct 1917. On 21 Oct 1917 Herbert was evacuated to England, where on 22 Oct 1917 he was admitted to the Graylingwell War Hospital in Chichester with a gun shot wound below his right elbow. Released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on 19 Nov 1917, he was discharged by them on 5 Dec 1917 to No.3 Command Depot at Hurdcott.

Over the next month he was reclassified as his body repaired, but was sent home early as it was felt he would need 6 months or more to be fit to return to the front lines. Admitted to the 8th Australian General Hospital on arrival in Fremantle he was released the day before his discharge which occurred at the 5th Military District on 3 Oct 1918.

Post War

Herbert Married Elizabeth May Oats on 8 Aug 1920 (1896 - 1994). Sons Norman Herbert (1921 - 2008); and Harold Leslie (1924 - 1996)

Electoral Roll entries: 1925 - 1937 at 118 Barker road, Subiaco, bootmaker; 1943 Garrity street, Tambellup, linesman; 1949 - 1963 at 118 Barker road, Subiaco, linesman