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German bullet pieced his cheek and exited through to the other side, but did not touch any bones or teeth. At the same time he took two German prisoners. With only 41 of his men remaining, he withdrew and by dawn they had dug in. He continued to command the 2/48th
Infantry Battalion until it was withdrawn from the Middle East and brought back to Australia in early 1943. In January 1943, he was invested with the
312:, where he attended the School of Mines. Following his education he was employed as a travelling salesman. On 26 October 1935, he married Mary Frances Morrissey at St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Melbourne. The couple had two children â a son and daughter â but were divorced in 1955. Hammer later remarried, taking Helena Irena Olova, nÊe Vymazal, an Austrian, as his second wife.
375:
from July 1942, planning and executing the capture of Trig 29 on 26 July. In the last attack launched by the division on 30/31 October the 2/48th
Infantry Battalion was ordered to take a position known as the Cloverleaf. During the attack, Hammer sustained a gunshot wound to his right cheek. The
292:. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Hammer volunteered for overseas service and fought in Greece, North Africa, New Guinea and Bougainville. He remained in the military after the war, rising to command at divisional level before retiring in 1959. He died in 1961 at the age of 56.
288:. After working as a traveling salesman he joined the Militia, Australia's part-time military force, in 1923, starting out as an enlisted soldier before being commissioned as an officer. By 1939, having served with several infantry units, he had reached the rank of
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After the war, Hammer became
Commissioner for Repatriation in Victoria and continued his military career in the Citizens Military Force. In 1947 he received a belated
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646:. Australia in the War of 1939â1945. Series 1 â Army. Vol. VII (1st ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
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on 8 June 1940, volunteering for overseas service. After a series of regimental postings, including
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308:. His father, William, was a miner, and after his parents moved to Victoria, he lived in
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391:. He led the brigade until the end of the war, commanding it through the fighting in
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Hammer retired in 1959 and died on 10 March 1961 in
Brighton; he was buried in
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in 1923, serving initially in the ranks. In 1926, he was commissioned as a
280:(15 February 1905 â 10 March 1961) was a senior officer in the
368:, the most decorated Australian infantry battalion of the war.
356:, Hammer was sent to the Middle East in 1941. After serving in
668:
The Last Man
Standing: Herb Ashby and the Battle of El Alamein
489:. Vol. 14. Melbourne University Press. pp. 366â367.
483:
Hill, A. J. (1996). "Hammer, Heathcote Howard (1905â1961)".
37:
Brigadier
Heathcote Hammer at Siar, New Guinea in June 1944
762:
Australian
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
757:
Australian
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
612:
The Order of the
British Empire â Commander (Military)
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ARMY â Distinguished service in the SW Pacific
568:(DSO), 11 February 1943, It's an Honour, Citation:
340:. Following the outbreak of the war, he joined the
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670:. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
599:(DSO), 27 April 1944, It's an Honour, Citation:
621:(CBE), 19 July 1945, It's an Honour, Citation:
399:. For his service in New Guinea he received a
787:People from Southern Cross, Western Australia
8:
455:"WW2 Nominal Roll: Hammer, Heathcote Howard"
405:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
227:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
457:. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from
403:to his DSO in 1944, and in 1945 was made a
371:Hammer led the unit in the fighting at the
697:
380:(DSO) for his actions in the Middle East.
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777:Military personnel from Western Australia
772:Australian Army personnel of World War II
797:Military personnel from Victoria (state)
360:, the following year he was promoted to
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338:17th Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment
332:. By 1939, he had achieved the rank of
300:Hammer was born on 15 February 1905 in
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418:in 1953. In 1956, he was promoted to
383:In June 1943, Hammer was promoted to
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792:Public servants of Victoria (state)
486:Australian Dictionary of Biography
414:. He was placed in command of the
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64:Southern Cross, Western Australia
342:Second Australian Imperial Force
31:
601:ARMY â South West Pacific
1:
436:Springvale Botanical Cemetery
364:and placed in command of the
296:Early years and personal life
95:Springvale Botanical Cemetery
336:, having also served in the
284:, seeing service during the
782:Burials in Victoria (state)
716:General Officer Commanding
590:Distinguished Service Order
559:Distinguished Service Order
378:Distinguished Service Order
373:Second Battle of El Alamein
231:Distinguished Service Order
193:Second Battle of El Alamein
818:
200:South West Pacific theatre
188:First Battle of El Alamein
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580:Long (1963), pp. 177â178.
540:. Australian War Memorial
518:. Australian War Memorial
516:"Heathcote Howard Hammer"
387:and given command of the
159:2/48th Infantry Battalion
30:
422:and took command of the
352:, which was part of the
570:ARMY â Middle East
320:Hammer enlisted in the
254:Heathcote Howard Hammer
243:Mentioned in Despatches
666:Dornan, Peter (2006).
617:25 August 2016 at the
564:3 October 2013 at the
330:8th Infantry Battalion
183:North African Campaign
412:Mention in Despatches
239:Efficiency Decoration
210:Bougainville Campaign
122:Years of service
595:4 March 2016 at the
416:2nd Armoured Brigade
149:2nd Armoured Brigade
802:People from Bendigo
767:Australian generals
643:The Final Campaigns
205:New Guinea Campaign
694:at www.generals.dk
538:"2/48th Battalion"
362:lieutenant colonel
16:Australian general
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725:Succeeded by
701:Military offices
306:Western Australia
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366:2/48th Battalion
286:Second World War
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178:Battle of Greece
173:Second World War
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61:15 February 1905
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46:"Tack", "Sledge"
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25:Heathcote Hammer
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461:on 31 May 2016
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73:10 March 1961
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729:Noel Simpson
718:3rd Division
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542:. Retrieved
532:
520:. Retrieved
485:
463:. Retrieved
459:the original
449:
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424:3rd Division
409:
397:Bougainville
389:15th Brigade
382:
370:
354:6th Division
350:16th Brigade
319:
299:
253:
249:
166:Battles/wars
154:15th Brigade
144:3rd Division
75:(1961-03-10)
18:
752:1961 deaths
747:1905 births
638:Long, Gavin
522:25 December
465:25 December
43:Nickname(s)
741:Categories
722:1956â1959
631:References
430:Later life
393:New Guinea
326:lieutenant
102:Allegiance
57:1905-02-15
692:Biography
385:brigadier
161:(1942â43)
156:(1943â45)
151:(1953â56)
146:(1956â59)
125:1923â1959
105:Australia
640:(1963).
615:Archived
593:Archived
562:Archived
140:Commands
110:Service/
84:Victoria
80:Brighton
652:1297619
544:26 July
328:in the
322:Militia
310:Bendigo
674:
650:
358:Greece
268:&
233:&
223:Awards
112:branch
90:Buried
442:Notes
334:major
290:major
275:
273:,
264:
262:,
672:ISBN
648:OCLC
546:2009
524:2009
467:2009
395:and
130:Rank
70:Died
51:Born
401:Bar
348:of
270:Bar
266:DSO
259:CBE
235:Bar
743::
495:^
475:^
438:.
426:.
407:.
304:,
277:ED
256:,
82:,
680:.
654:.
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59:)
55:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
