Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harold Leslie Alexander was born in Renmark, South Australia in 1893 but grew up in the town of Port Elliot, South Australia. He was the second son of Henry Holdsworth Grierson Alexander and Eva Blanche Hammont (nee Good). He attended Flinders Street State School.

Harold enlisted on the 12th April 1915 in South Australia, and his older brother Eric Carnagie Alexander enlisted two months later, on the 16th June 1915. Harold was 21 years old at the time. Prior to his enlistment he worked as a labourer. He was not married when he enlisted.

After he was accepted to join the war, he began training at Morphettville Racecourse. Harold was first enlisted in the 10th Battalion but was later moved to the 27th Battalion. He embarked from Australia 23rd June 1915.

While enlisted in the 10th battalion, Harold was taken on strength at Gallipoli 28th September 1915. 

After serving in Gallipoli Harold went onto the HMAT Seang Bee Ship and disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt on the 29th December 1915. In Egypt they trained and rebuilt their strength after the attacks in Gallipoli. While Harold was in Alexandria he was in trouble 'caught leaving the ranks without permission'. His consequence was 14 days of number 2 field punishment. Not long after arriving in Egypt, Harold was transferred to the 27th battalion on the 16th February 1916. The 27th battalion were transported to Marseilles, France on the 21st March 1916.  The 27th battalion took part in the at Pozieres between the 28th of July and the 5th August 1916.

Tragically, an incident resulted in his death on the 4th August 1916. On this day the 27th battalion were aiming to capture the heights of Pozieres. This was only one day before the 27th battalion were moved out from the front-line trenches. Harold died in a trench which was hit by an enemy shell fire. At the time, Harold’s brother Eric was in the same trench. A shell collapsed on their trench and buried all of the soldiers. Eric was later found alive however Harold’s body was never recovered and is ‘Known Unto God’.

At the Battle of Pozieres there was a total of 23,000 casualties and 5,000 deaths. On the day that Harold died, there was 314 deaths, which was one of the largest death counts in one day.

As Harold’s body was never recovered, he is commemorated for his service at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.

Harold’s brother Eric survived the war and went on to be a carpenter in South Australia. He died in 1974 at the age of 82 due to natural causes. Eric’s last rank was a Sergeant and his last unit was the 27th battalion.

Harold’s mother, Eva died in 1961 at the age of 90. Henry, Harold’s father, died in 1937 at the age of 69 in NSW.

Bibliography:

Anzac spirit | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit#:~:text=He%20described%20the%20spirit%20of.

Harold Leslie ALEXANDER. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/106563 

THE LATE PRIVATE H. L. ALEXANDER. (1916). Advertiser. [online] 18 Sep. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6469710?searchTerm=Harold%20Leslie%20Alexander

The Pozieres battlefield, taken from near the strongly fortified enemy concrete redoubt called ... [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C954754?image=1

Field punishment | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/field_punishment#:~:text=Field%20punishment%20No.

corporateName =Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, C.C. (2019). Weapons used by the Australian Army in World War I | Anzac Portal. [online] anzacportal.dva.gov.au. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/army-weapons.

corporateName =Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, C.C. (n.d.). First Australian Imperial Force in World War I. [online] Anzac Portal. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force#:~:text=The%20Australian%20Government%20established%20the.

www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). Advanced Search | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=HMAT+Kanowna+ship+&collection=true

vwma.org.au. (n.d.). Eric Carnagie ALEXANDER. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/317284

Son of Henry Holdsworth Grierson ALEXANDER AND Eva Blanche Hammont nee GOOD

Brother to:  1876 Sgt. Eric Carnegie Alexander (/explore/people/317284)

Buried in the same trench as his brother Eric, which collapsed when hit by enemy shell fire  at Pozières. Harold could not be  dug out in time to save his life, but Eric was saved.

"THE LATE PRIVATE H. L. ALEXANDER

Private Harold Leslie Alexander, who was killed in action on August 4, was born at Renmark, and was the son of Mr. Henry Holdsworth Alexander, of Brisbane. He was 22 years of age, and had been in the service for 18 months. He had served on Gallipoli, and had neither been ill nor wounded up to the night of his death. His brother is still fighting in the same battalion. Private Alexander had a most genial disposition, and news of his death was keenly felt at Port Elliot and Cottonville, where most of his friends resided. His mother, Mrs. Benson, is on the way home from New South Wales." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 07 Oct 1916 (nla.gov.au)