William Hewitt - Died 3 May 1917
Thursday 03 May 1917
Army Rank: PrivateNumber: 1675Regiment: 2nd Pioneers Australian InfantryBorn: 1892Died: 3rd May, 1917Age: 25Cause of Death: Killed in action Commemorated at Hereford Cathedral School, Hereford Cathedral and Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. Son of William and Annie Dorothy Hewitt, of Barroll House, Hereford, England.The July, 1917 edition of The Herefordian included his obituary:Private William Hewitt, Australian contingent, was killed in action in France on May 3rd, 1917. He was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt, of Barroll House, Hereford. When war broke out he was in Australia, and at once enlisted to fight for the Empire. He was 25 years of age.A notice in the Herford Times notes that he left England for Australia in 1912 and in 1914 was intending to take land in Queensland for growing sugar cane. He joined the 25th Battalion Australian Infantry and went to Gallipoli and then to Egypt before being transferred to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion and serving in France in 1916. During his time in France he saw action at Ypres, Armentieres, Festubert and Messines.During an attack on Greman Trenches, we was struck by a piece of shell and died instantly.His platoon commander, writing to his parents said “he was in the platoon I command, and as a soldier and a man came up to the highest standard”