HEDGES, William Stanley (1891-1961)Born at Mount Barker, South Australia, on 28 July 1891, the son of William Noel Hedges (?-1935) and Eliza nee Paterson. He was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1907 probably leaving at the end of 1908. His address at enrolment was 'Dunboe', Sackville Street, Kew.
The Annual Reports list him as the winner of the following awards at Geelong College:
1907 1st Geometry 3rd Form
1908 1st Geography 5th Form B
1908 2nd Chemistry 5th Form B
1908 1st Sloyd
After leaving school he worked as a Grazier. He enlisted (No 1836) in Fremantle, Perth in the AIF on 18 August 1914 as a Driver with the 8th Battery Field Artillery Brigade but was eventually attached to the 3rd Army Field Artillery Brigade. He embarked on
HMAT A7 Medic on 3 October 1914 for Egypt, then Gallipoli, and ultimately France. In 1916 he attended the Artillery Cadet School at St Johns Wood, England and he was subsequently promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in 1917.
He wrote to the Headmaster of Geelong College and part of this letter was quoted in
Pegasus of August 1918:
'I saw Willie Dunlop yesterday, he looks tip-top; the last time I saw him was in Tel-el-Kebir, just before we left for France. . . . I have been particularly lucky in this war, as I have been in most of the big ‘pushes’ and have only been wounded once, and have been with it ever since. I have had a commission over a year now, and am feeling in tip-top condition and can stand a fair amount of service yet.' William Hedges returned to Australia on the
Burma, embarking on 13 December 1918.
In 1920, he married Mary McKenna (bdm vic 8752).
He died at Safety Bay, Western Australia on 5 July 1961 aged 69 years.
His brother,
Herbert Melbourne Hedges (1899-1980)was also educated at Geelong College.
His father, William Noel Hedges, had been elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the member for Fremantle representing the Western Australian Party from 1906 to 1913.
Sources: Marriage Vic BDM No 8752; Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 209 (citing Pegasus; National Archives).