Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Births Jun 1890  Simons Harold Basford 7b 244
 

He was the son of Elizabeth Simons of 3 Elm Avenue, Park Road, Carlton, Nottingham. He emigrated to Australia aged 23.

Address given on enlistment - 34 Meeks Road, Marrickville, New South Wales.

He enlisted 17/5/1916 at Sydney New South Wales.

He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on 30 September 1916. He commenced returning to Australia on board HT 'Aeneas' 31 May 1919 and disembarked Sydney 12 July 1919.

Bombardier  Simons is remembered on the Carlton – St Paul's Church War Memorial as H Simons Br.

Harold SIMONS was born on 11th May 1890 at Carlton, near Nottingham in England. His parents were James and Elizabeth (née Rerpont) Simons. He came to Australia when he was 23-years-old.

He joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a fuelman in the Locomotive Branch, based at Eveleigh, on 3rd January 1916. On 17th May 1916 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.

Harold officially joined the AIF on 17th May 1916. He was assigned to the 2nd Reinforcements to the Medium Trench Mortar Batteries with the rank of Gunner (Service Number 28896). For his next of kin, he nominated his mother, who was then still living at Carlton near Nottingham. On his Attestation Paper he indicated he had previously been rejected for military service on medical grounds due to the presence of varicose veins inside his scrotum (varicocele). When he enlisted he was living at Marrickville in Sydney.

He embarked at Sydney for England aboard HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’ on 30th September 1916 and disembarked at Plymouth, England, on 19th November 1916. On arrival he went to No. 3 Camp at Parkhouse and from there he went to the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery (RBAA) at Larkhill where he marched in on 29th December 1916.

After completing training at the RBAA, Harold left England for France on 29th March 1917. He marched in to the Australian Gunnery Base Depot at Etaples on 31st March 1917. He was posted to the 1st Divisional Artillery on 11th April 1917. He was taken on strength of the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column on 14th April 1917.

On 24th June 1917 he reported sick with a fever of unknown origin and was admitted to the 3rd British Casualty Clearing Station. It was not until 14th July 1917 that he was well enough to be discharged to duty and he re-joined his unit on 16th July 1917.

He remained on duty with the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column until 17th October 1917 when he was transferred to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. These units were in Belgium.

On 6th November 1917 he was gassed while in action. He was sent immediately to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to the 22nd General Hospital at Daunes on 7th November 1917. From there he was evacuated to England on 13th November 1917. He was admitted to the 1st Western General Hospital at Liverpool on 14th November 1917. He had recovered sufficiently to be discharged to furlough from 8th to 22nd December 1917. On the latter date he returned to duty at No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny. From there he was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge on 27th March 1918. He returned to the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery at Heytesbury on 12th April 1918.

On 13th May 1918 Harold left England to return to France where he marched in to the Australian Gunnery Base Depot at Le Havre on 14th May 1918. Two days later, on 16th May 1918, he marched out to re-join his unit, but he did not actually reach it until 27th May 1918. He was then on duty until the Armistice on 11th November 1918. However, three days beforehand, on 8th November 1918, he was appointed to the rank of Acting Bombardier.

On 3rd April 1919 Harold left his unit with No. 27 Quota to return to Australia, reaching the Australian Infantry Base Depot on 6th April 1919 before embarking for England on 10th April 1919. He arrived in England on 11th April 1919. On 31st May 1919 he embarked for Australia aboard HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’. During the voyage back to Australia he was admitted to the ship’s hospital on 4th July 1919 with enlarged testicles.

He arrived back in Sydney on 18th July 1919 and was sent straight to the 4th Australian General Hospital at Randwick where, at 11 am on 29th January 1920, he died. The causes of death were ‘malignant disease of testicle’ (primary) and ‘malignant disease of lung’ (secondary).

Harold’s grave is in Rookwood Necropolis, Rookwood, Sydney, and his place of association in Australia is Marrickville, Sydney, NSW.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Statioin Honour Board.