Prest, Henry Thomas (1403)
Place of Birth: Port Melbourne, VIC
Age: 19 years 6 months
Enlistment Details: Monday, 26 October 1914 – Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 1403 view online service record
Address:
155 Nott Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Next of Kin:
Robert Henry Prest (father)
155 Nott Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Tuesday, 2 February 1915
Ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray A46
Port: Melbourne, VIC
Unit: 5th Infantry Battalion – 2nd Reinforcements
Fate:
RTA: Monday, 8 May 1916
Discharged: Friday, 28 July 1916
The Standard newspaper reported on four cousins serving at the front.
William Thomas Henry Prest, son of W Prest of Fishermen’s Bend,
Thomas Alfred Prest, son of John Prest of Fishermen’s Bend,
Henry Thomas Prest, son of Henry Prest of 155 Nott Street, and
William Thomas Libbis, son of Mr & Mrs Libbis of Coburg.
All four are the grandsons of William Prest, ex-engine driver, of Graham Street.
1915 ‘Well Represented at Front.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 15 May, p. 2, viewed 29 April, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91165872
Henry was wounded at Gallipoli sometime between 25 April and 4 May 1915 and was evacuated to Malta before being transferred to the military hospital at Lewisham in September that year. He was released from hospital in November but by May 1916 he was on his way back to Australia invalided out of service due to deafness.
While in Malta he wrote to his parents including a poem he had written about the charge at Gaba Tepe which was then published in the local newspaper on 6 November 1915.
1915 ‘CHARGE OF GABA TEPE.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 6 November, p. 1, viewed 12 October, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91168159
1916 ‘Private H. T. Prest.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 1 July, p. 2. , viewed 31 May 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91166014
1917 ‘NOTT-STREET BAZAAR.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 23 June, p. 4. , viewed 19 Dec 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88366305