| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Bapaume Cambrai Area, Bullecourt |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL28162 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Bronze |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | c 1921 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Next of kin plaque: Private Claude Leslie Hatt, 46th Battalion, AIF
Description
Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'CLAUDE LESLIE HATT'. The plaque is in its original waxed cardboard packaging. Some genealogical details are handwritten in blue biro on the outside of the packaging.
History / Summary
Born in St James, Victoria in 1895, Claude Leslie 'Snowy' Hatt was employed as a saddler in Newbridge when he enlisted in the AIF on 10 May 1916. His elder brother, George Stanley Hatt, enlisted at the same time. After basic training both men were posted as privates, service numbers 2427 (Claude) and 2428 (George), to the 5th Reinforcements for the 46th Battalion. The brothers sailed for overseas service from Melbourne on 7 September, aboard HMAT A15 Port Sydney. After further training in England they joined the 46th Battalion's, C Company, XII Platoon in France at the end of January 1917.
George Hatt was evacuated to England suffering from blindness in his right eye in March, and was eventually returned to Australia for discharge the following July.
Claude Hatt was killed on 11 April 1917 during the first battle of Bullecourt. Witnesses said that he encountered a German soldier as he turned the corner of a trench and was shot through the stomach. A stretcher bearer recalled: 'He managed to walk back along the trench to a dug-out where we were dressing the wounded. I caught hold of him to dress his wound when he died', only minutes after he had been wounded. Another witness stated: 'We lost ground that day, and his body was left behind.' Claude Hatt's body was never recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
This memorial plaque was sent to Claude's father, Stephen George Hatt, in August 1922.