The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2094) Private George Priestly Hillam, 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, 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 Tristan Rallings, the story for this day was on (2094) Private George Priestly Hillam, 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2094 Private George Priestly Hillam, 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF
Died of Illness: 31 July 1917

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private George Priestly Hillam.

George Hillam was born in 1879 to Priestly and Harriett Hillam in Mount Pleasant, South Australia. As a young man, he worked as a farmer, and in 1905, he married Lydia Jesser.

Hillam volunteered for service in the Australian Imperial Force in June 1916, travelling to Adelaide to enlist. He trained in Australia for several weeks before boarding the transport ship Anchises in late August, bound for England. On board the same ship was his wife’s brother, Private Thomas Jesser.

In October 1916, Hillam arrived in England and was admitted to hospital with mumps, a very common illness in the crowded camps and transport ships. He recovered after a fortnight, and continued his training for several months. He sailed for France in February 1917, where he joined the 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion.

When he joined the unit, the 43rd Battalion was stationed near Armentieres in northern France, on the border with Belgium. For the next few months, the men of the unit spent time in the front lines and training in rear areas. In the middle of 1917, the British commanders had shifted their focus north, to the region around the Belgian town of Ypres. In June, Hillam’s unit was employed as carrying parties and in the front line during the battle of Messines, which was the first objective in the sector. This was a successful action, and it gave the British a base from which to launch an offensive into Belgian Flanders.

The 43rd Battalion remained at Messines until July 1917, holding the line and improving the trench system. Although they were not involved in major battles, men were wounded almost every day by enemy artillery, sniper, and machine-gun fire. In the middle of July, the battalion was relieved and moved to a rear area. Hillam had a minor irritation in his eye, and reported to the casualty clearing station.

While recovering, Hillam developed appendicitis, and he was evacuated to hospital at Wimereux on the cost of the English Channel. His condition steadily worsened, and he died on 31 July 1917. He was 31 years old.

George Hillam is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery in France, alongside more than 2,800 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War.

In Australia, Hillam was survived by his widow Lydia and their two daughters, Effie and Avril. Lydia had recently learnt that her brother, Private Thomas Jesser, of the 40th Battalion, had been killed at Messines.

Many members of the extended Hillam family served in the First World War. Hillam’s younger brother, Driver Willie Hillam, who was in the same battalion as George, survived the war and returned to Australia in May 1919. His younger brother Private Archie Hillam, of the 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion, served on the Western Front and returned to Australia in July 1919. Two of Hillam’s cousins were killed during the war. Private Allan Hillam of the 3rd Battalion was killed in Belgium in March 1918, and Private Hugh Hillam of the 29th Battalion was killed in France in April 1918.

Private George Priestly Hillam 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 George Priestly Hillam, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Thomas Rogers
Historian, Military History Section