HILTON, William George Henry
(Service number 2626)
| First Rank | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 15 February 1888 | Place of Birth | Timaru |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 17 August 1915 | Age | 27 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | |||
| Occupation | Trimmer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Married. One child. | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Betsy HILTON (wife), 114 Nelson Street, Annandale, Sydney, NSW, Australia | ||
Military Service
| Served with | Australia Imperial Force | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | 6th Reinforcements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 19th Battalion | ||
| Date | 2 November 1915 | ||
| Transport | |||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-1915 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 1 September 1968 | Age | 80 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | New South Wales | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Rockwood Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, New South Wales | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
William George Henry Hilton, known as Willie or Will, was the second of the fourteen children and eldest son of George and Elizabeth Rose (née Scarf, daughter of “Strathallan” immigrants) Hilton. He was born on 15 February 1888 at Timaru and educated at Timaru Main School. A trimmer when he enlisted at Holdsworth, New South Wales on 17 August 1915 with the Australian Forces, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Betsy Hilton, 114 Nelson Street, Annandale, Sydney, NSW, Australia. William had married Elizabeth Jane Pedley (Betsy, née Stewart) on 7 February 1914 at St Peter’s, Newtown, New South Wales. Betsey was much older than Willie. Her son also served in World War One. Mona May Hilton, the daughter of Willie and Betsy was born in 1914.
William George Hilton embarked on 2 November 1915 with the 19th Battalion of the 6th Reinforcements. Mr George Hilton received official notification on 20 February 1917 yesterday that his son Private W. G. Hilton, had been admitted to Bethnal Green hospital, suffering from pleurisy. A few weeks later he received a letter from his son describing the horrors of the trenches – the cause of his pleurisy – and of trying to bury the dead. [See attachment.]
He returned to Australia from England in August 1918 per the “Medic” (Transport No. 21), arriving on 13 October. He was discharged on 7 November 1918 in consequence of medical unfitness. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He remained in New South Wales and, dying there on 1 September 1968, aged 80 years, he was buried (ashes) at Rockwood Memorial Gardens and Crematorium.
Sources
NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [05 January 2025]; reference to Australian WWI Service record [05 January 2025]; Australian Marriage Index (ancestry.com.au) ]05 January 2025]; Rockwood Memorial Gardens record (Find A Grave) [05 January 2025]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [05 January 2025]; Timaru Herald, 21 February 1917, 4 April 1917 (Papers Past) [05 January 2024]; assistance from Janet Williams, granddaughter of William’s sister.
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