38 / 128
He embarked from Sydney on 25 November 1916 and was killed on 3
April 1918, aged 21 at Villers Bretonneux, France. The Battle of Villers
Bretonneux was important in helping to prevent the German’s desperate
push for victory in 1918.
Harold had received a gunshot wound to his shoulder in October 1917,
but like others he returned to his Unit after hospitalisation.
Harold is buried in the Adelaide Cemetery, Villers Bretonneux, France
and he is commemorated in Panel Number 125 in the Roll of Honour,
Australian War Memorial.
Below is a description given to the Red Cross, regarding his death, by a
witness Pte. H. B. Waldron, 2905. 35
th
Battalion.
“On 3rd April in billets at Villers Bretonneux about 3:30 in the afternoon,
he was sitting on a plough, when a shell came through the building. Killed
outright. I was alongside him at the time and was wounded ...know
nothing of the funeral”.
As indicated earlier Roll of Honour Circular was a questionnaire sent to
parents or next of kin to gather information about a soldier so that his
death could be appropriately commemorated. For example, this document
indicated what school the deceased soldier had attended and even
described his appearance.
“He was about 20; He was about 5’9” high, thin build, snowy light hair.”
Informant – Private J. Lanham – 35
th
Battalion.
One of the central purposes of this work is to understand and recognize
why, for a variety of reasons local soldiers continued to volunteer and
face an uncertain future in France on the Western Front. Obviously, due to
the censorship of details from the Front and despite the long casualty lists
in the papers, men continued to enlist although at a reduced rate each
month as the stalemate at the Front continued.
This declining monthly intake of soldiers did prompt Australian Prime
Minister, Billy Hughes, to push for conscription of soldiers to assist the
“Mother Country” in her deadly struggle in Europe.
36