The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1677) Private William Thomas Hitchen, 45th Battalion, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Gerard Pratt, the story for this day was on (1677) Private William Thomas Hitchen, 45th Battalion, First World War.

1677 Private William Thomas Hitchen, 45th Battalion
DOD 3 September 1916
Story delivered 3 September 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William Thomas Hitchen.

William Hitchen was born in 1864 in Mudgee, New South Wales, to George Hitchen, a migrant from Lanarkshire in Scotland, and his wife Catherine. George Hitchen had come to Australia to try his luck in the gold rush of 1840, and went on to run hotels at Toraweenah, Collie, and Peak. Bill’s father was a hard worker, and “taught all his family that work was one of the chief duties of life.” Bill Hitchen went on to become a master plumber and in 1890 married Emma Jane Lyons in Coonamble. In 1906 the couple and their children moved to Gilgandra from Gulargambone, and Bill set up business as a plumber and windmill expert. Windmills were just becoming popular at the time, and Bill and two of his sons were responsible for erecting many of the windmills in and around Gilgandra.

Bill Hitchen was too old to enlist for active service on the outbreak of war in 1914. But he became increasingly concerned about falling enlistment numbers in the Australian Imperial Force. A staunch supporter of conscription, Hitchen decided to try to boost enlistment himself by organising a route march to Sydney from Gilgandra. He began with 20 or so recruits, and the group marched away, calling loud cooees as they reached a town, hoping to attract more recruits as they went.

Hitchen’s patriotism was the pride of Gilgandra. Local newspapers reported that through his work Gilgandra had “proved to be one of the most loyal towns in the state”. These route marches were known as “snowball” marches because of the way a snowball gathers more snow as it rolls down a hill. More were organised, but they were never particularly popular with military authorities, and stopped within a few months.

Bill Hitchen’s service did not come to an end with the arrival of the Cooee March to Sydney. Having marched the whole way, the 51-year-old lied about his age, saying he was 44, and enlisted for active service. He passed the medical exam and was posted to the 45th Battalion. He left Sydney for active service overseas on 14 April 1916.

Just weeks after arriving in England, Private Bill Hitchen fell ill. He was taken to an Australian military hospital in Harefield, just outside of London, and died there from a malignant skin cancer on the 3rd of September 1916.
Hitchen was in hospital with Private Albert Tracey, a young man from Gilgandra who had known Bill all his life. In August, shortly before he died, Hitchen asked for Tracey, who was able to visit. Tracey later wrote
He cried when I left him, and never let my hand go all the time I was with him, and he used to keep on saying, “you know, Albert, I can’t write, but you tell the people from me it wasn’t my fault I never got to the trenches”. He was too old, poor old fellow, for the army, but he was a good man, and should never have been let to come away. If every one of those that talk so much did for the boys what that man did they would do some good. His whole heart and soul were with the army … He said, “I want to show the people of Australia that I’m not out for the good of my health, but for the boys”.

One of Bill’s sons had enlisted for active service a few months before his father, and was able to visit him in hospital before he died. Two of his nephews repeatedly ran away from home, trying to enlist even though they were only young teenagers.

Bill Hitchen was buried in St Mary’s Church yard in Harefield, New South Wales. He was 52 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private William Thomas Hitchen, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section