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H.Durham, one of the soldiers
photographed in The Queenslander
Pictorial, supplement to The
Queenslander, 1915.
He embarked from Australia for Gallipoli on 13 February 1915. Harrie
joined his unit at Gallipoli on 16 May 1915 but saw little action after he
was struck down with a serious case of Bronchitis and was sent to recover
at the Australian General Hospital on the island of Lemnos on 2
December 1915.
Initially Harrie was enlisted in the 9
th
Battalion but later he was “taken on
strength” to the 49
th
Battalion. In France he was moved to the 4
th
Pioneer
Battalion where his mining skills were obviously very useful. He was
promoted to Lance Corporal in France on 23 January 1916 but later
requested to return to the rank of Private. Sickness that affected many
soldiers during the war ensured that Harrie spent considerable time in
hospitals in 1916 and 1917. He sprained his knee very badly in April
1918, which led to him being incapacitated in December 1918 and being
discharged in 1919. Despite his illnesses his rise to Lance Corporal
would indicate a very competent soldier and the loss of too many junior
officers.
William Halton/Hutton Gilchrist (Regimental No 2046)
William Halton/Hutton Gilchrist was born at Minmi the son of John and
Janet Gilchrist in 1891. He lived at Redhead and was married to
Elizabeth Ann Gilchrist designated on his documents as his next of kin.
His second given name was often confused but the Births, Deaths and
Marriages in NSW says it was Hutton.
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