A century on from the end of World War I we acknowledge their service …
Lest we forget.
Private William Alexander Abrehart
Born: 1893 Carlton. Died: Not known.
Enlisted: 10 March, 1915, aged 22
Served: Egypt and Gallipoli
Bill Abrehart was one of 11 children of Charles and Bessie Abrehart who settled on a property along the Princes Highway at Pakenham in 1894. They farmed and were involved in the local eucalyptus oil industry. Abrehart Road is named in their honour.
Bill attended Pakenham State School, and later worked at George Paternoster’s store in Main Street.
He played football for Pakenham, including in the 1914 premiership team.
A 22-year-old labourer when enlisting in March 1915, Bill married his sweetheart Mary Cleary before embarking for Egypt in May and their only son, Alexander Patrick Abrehart, was born while he was overseas.
In a letter to his parents from Gallipoli in September 1915, Bill wrote:
“There are any amount of shells bursting around us, and you are not safe anywhere on the Peninsula, but you just have to take your chance”.
In early 1916, Bill was repatriated to Australia for “three months change”. Back in Australia, he refused to have an operation for his hernia and was declared permanently unfit for further service and discharged.
Bill settled St Kilda when returning, lost his wife in 1921 and struggled to find work. He sent his son back to Pakenham to be raised by his family.
This is an extract from Patrick Ferry’s book A Century After The Guns Fell Silent – Remembering the Pakenham District’s WWI Diggers 1914-18.
For more details on this and other profiles in the book, head to the website www.pakenhamww1.com
