Herbert Ralph Wiltshire was born in Walthamstowe, England. When he enlisted at Melbourne on 20 August 1914 he gave his age as 24, however in a Statutory Declaration he made in 1938 he gave his birthdate as 18 August 1893, making him three years younger than his original stated age. He named his wife, Emily, as his next of kin with an address in Ilford, England. His occupation was clerk. He was appointed to Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Brigade as a driver and was sent to Broadmeadows for training.
He embarked on 21 October 1914 aboard the Orvieto, and the embarkation roll gave his address as 14 Powlett Street, East Melbourne.
On 5 April he embarked from Alexandria to join the Middle Eastern Forces in the Gallipoli Campaign. On 30 July 1915 he was admitted to hospital in Alexandria and later taken to England for further treatment. He remained in hospital for some months and on 8 May 1916 he embarked for Australia on Hospital Ship Themistocles with rheumatic fever. When he arrived in Melbourne he was diagnosed with neurasthenia and was discharged from service on 2 August 1916.
He initially returned to 14 Powlett Street where he was notified of his pension entitlement. He wrote from Granville, NSW, on 19 January 1920 advising of his change of address, and according to the aforementioned statutory declaration which he made in order to have his war medals reissued, since leaving Victoria he moved about considerably.
Another matter of interest arising from his stat dec is that he stated that when he enlisted that he gave his mother as his next of kin, not his wife. It is not known what became of Emily, or even if she came to Australia.