GARNETT, Henry James
| Service Number: | 4429 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Surry Hills, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 3 May 1917, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 4429, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 4429, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Nestor, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Henry James GARNETT (Service Number 4429) was working in the Railways in 1913 in the Traffic Branch. In a letter from his wife, she recounts that ‘he lived an honest hard working and respectful life he worked eight years [with the] railway’, so it is likely he began working with the railways around 1907-1909. He remained working with the Railways until November 1915, when he enlisted with the AIF. He was 36-years-old at the time of his enlistment.
On 3 May 1917, he was reported to be missing in action, and then the following day, was reported to have been killed in action, though it appears his remains were never recovered. He is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France.
Submitted 18 July 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Henry James GARNETT (Service Number 4429) was working in the Railways by 1913 in the Traffic Branch. A letter from his wife recounts that ‘he lived an honest hard working and respectful life he worked eight years [with the] railway’. He remained working with the Railways until November 1915, when he enlisted with the AIF. He was 36-years-old at the time of his enlistment.
On 16th September 1916, he went from England to France. He marched into Etaples on 17th September. He joined his battalion in Belgium shortly after on 2nd October 1916. He was admitted to the Field Ambulance on 9th November 1916 with rheumatism. He re-joined his battalion on 14th November. However, it wasn’t long before he was sick again, this time with Influenza. He was admitted to hospital in Amiens on 1st December 1916. He was transferred to England on 6th Decembe because it was discovered that he had bronchitis. He was granted furlough from 19th January 1917 to 3rd February. He spent this time in Dartford. He marched in from furlough on 3rd February. He went to France again. He re-joined his battalion in France on 9th April 1917.
On 3rd May 1917, he was reported to be missing in action. The following day he was reported to have been killed in action, although it appears that his remains were never recovered. He is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France.
Following his death, his wife sent a letter detailing that she was not legally married to him, although everyone believed that she was. She begs not to be labelled as his unmarried wife, as ‘I have lived and [am] known as Annie Garnett’. She writes, ‘He was all I had in this wide world, I am alone in this world with him so dear sir I ask you gentlemen the greatest favour in the world… to not let the world know I was not his married wife, he died thinking the world would never know’. She remained his next of kin despite this scandal, and received his personal items, including a knife, five badges, and some buttons. She also accepted the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board