The carnage at the Dardanelles and Western Front was horrendous, but sometimes the pressures and feeling of rejection of those that volunteered and were not accepted had an almost equally tragic result.
Samuel Hulley is another not included in Australian War Memorial records. He was one of many anxious to do his bit for King and Country during the War, volunteering, but being rejected on medical grounds.
Most accepted the decision; some volunteered their services as munitions workers, but Hulley, from 12 Seymour Street, Preston, instead worked for the Home Service as a first aid officer.
But perhaps the thought that he should have done more plagued Hulley; although hostilities in Europe had ended, his own mental conflicts continued and with the additional stress of an impending serious operation, things proved too much over the Christmas of 1918 when Hulley was seen leaving his house with a loaded rifle and in a distressed condition.
His wife Rose raised the alarm with neighbours after she noticed Samuel had left the house with his rifle in a distressed condition – one of those that went looking for him later found him in five feet of water in the Darebin Creek.The Leader reported the neighbour “found the body”, but his official place of death is listed as East Melbourne, suggesting he was still alive when found and taken to the Melbourne General Hospital.
The Preston Leader on his death noted he had served “for a considerable time, being an expert in first aid work”, and that he had been obsessed with being rejected from the A.I.F. to the point of being mentally deranged, although that he was also highly stressed by the prospect of an upcoming and serious operation. Hulley was noted in a Death Notice as a Corporal on Home Service at the Base Hospital in St. Kilda Road.
Link to the history of Samuel Albert Hulley
Link to ozsportshistory.com downloads for WW1
