Joseph Hepper

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sun, 19/11/2017 - 15:49

First Name:

Joseph

Last Name:

Hepper

Date of Birth:

Saturday, December 29, 1894

Mother's Name:

Janet Hepper nee Roffe

Father's Name:

John Hepper

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, August 10, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

4th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Thursday, June 24, 1943

Place of Death:

Melbourne, Victoria

Details:

Joseph Hepper (Service No 3781) was born in Goulburn N.S.W. His family moved to Wollongong, N.S.W. where they remained for the rest of their lives.

At enlistment Joseph was single, 21 years old and worked as a cleaner. He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A7 Medic with 4th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement on 30th December 1915. After a stop in Egypt he arrived in France on 3rd April 1916 where he joined 4th Battalion in the field on 17th May 1916.

Joseph saw service on the Somme at Pozieres and while there are no reports of wounding on file, he was admitted to hospital on 7th January 1917 for treatment of a septic foot which was to plague him for the rest of his service. He was back in hospital on 29th July 1917 with trench fever.

Joseph met an English girl, Winifred Lambourne, while in and out of hospital and they were married in Wiltshire on 31st July 1918.

Joseph was returned to Australia in December 1918, after 2 toes on his right foot were amputated. He was discharged medically unfit on 10th April 1919.

Joseph and Winifred had 2 children when Joseph left the family in 1923 and moved to Melbourne. They were divorced March 1935.

Joseph died in Melbourne in 1943.

Joseph's brother Walter Hepper (Service No 316) also served and returned to Australia.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, HEPPER J 3781