HASSAM, Oscar Donald
| Service Number: | 51 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Australian Provost Corps |
| Born: | Woodchester, South Australia, 30 January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Brighton, Holdfast Bay, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Brighton Secondary School |
| Occupation: | Warehouseman |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 20 May 1918, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Glisy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brighton Arch of Remembrance, Brighton WW1 Roll of Honour, Woodchester Onaunga D.C. Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 51, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 5 Sep 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, Australian Provost Corps | |
| 10 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, Australian Provost Corps | |
| 6 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Australian Provost Corps | |
| 13 Aug 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Australian Provost Corps | |
| 20 May 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Australian Provost Corps , Merris (France), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: Australian Provost Corps awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-05-20 |
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Oscar Donald HASSAM was born in Woodchester, South Australia on 30th January, 1895
His parents were William HASSAM & Frances YOUNG
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Original Member of the 10th Battalion AIF - Colour Sergeant in B Company
Biography contributed by Dara School
Oscar Donald Hassam was born in Woodchester, South Australia, 30 January 1895, and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 19 August 1914 in Morphettville, South Australia, at the age of 19. His hometown was Brighton, Holdfast Bay, South Australia, and he was schooled in Brighton Secondary School. He worked as a warehouseman before the war. Oscar was the grandson of George Morton Hassam and the son of William Hassam and Frances Young. William moved from England in 1864 as a child, but it is unknown when, or if, Francis moved to Australia. Oscar was the sixth son out of 10 children born by the pair and was a good friend of a man known as Jesse Skinner, who was significant enough to be mentioned in memorials and obituaries about Oscar himself.
In 1912, Oscar enlisted in the army as an infantry soldier, before the war began. He later left the army but re-enlisted again in 1914 when World War One commenced and his regiment formed part of the 10th regiment of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), sent to Europe to fight for the allied forces in World War One.
He departed Australian shores onboard HMAT Ascanius A11 on the 20th of October 1914 for Egypt joining the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 2nd March 1915. He fought at Gallipoli until he became ill with influenza 18th May 1915 and sent to the 4th Field Ambulance and then on to hospital. He was transferred to the supplementary list on 29th April 1916 while he recovered.
The APS later changed its name to the Australian Army Provost Corps and today is known as the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police. A badge was worn by those within the APC to identify themselves as a member, which was worn on the shoulder with text displaying the words, “ANZAC PROVOST CORPS.” Australian Provost Corps (APC) is a branch of the Australian Army that Oscar was involved in. The APC were effectively the military police of the army and were responsible for many duties, including battlefield traffic control, security duties, prisoner of war handling, the investigation of service offences and the running of military prisons. The branch also formed fighting units and led some operations against the enemy. They were also involved in the surveillance of routes and identified and interrogated potential spies against the allied forces.
He proceeded overseas to France on the 25th November 1916 with the Provost Police at the 1st Anzac Headquarters.
On the 6th of March 1917 he was promoted to a Second lieutenant, a role that stood around for 5 months, where on the 13th of August, he was promoted yet again to Lieutenant of the APC.
He was Mentioned in Dispatches, an achievement recognised when a superior officer writes a note to the high command detailing people who acted in virtuous and meritorious ways in battle. The MiD acknowledged his "distinguished and gallant service and devotion to duty during the period of February 26th to 21st September 1917.
In 1918 he again was taken ill, this time with pyrexia in February 1918 and again spent time in hospital. This fever developed into influenza and he was sent back to England to the 3rd London General hospital to recover. Hassam was discharged from hospital back to duty and returned to France to rejoin the Provost Corp on the 10th April 1918
He was wounded in action on the 20th May 1918 due to a bomb that penetrated the side of his left arm and both legs and he died the same day. He is buried at Glisy Cemetery in France.
Oscar is commemorated today in the Glisy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France, and in memorials around the world like the Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brighton Arch of Remembrance, Brighton WW1 Roll of Honour, and the Woodchester Onaunga D.C. Roll of Honor.
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