Henry Harold PURVIS

Henry Harold PURVIS Update Details

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PURVIS, Henry Harold

Service Number:	3198
Enlisted:	9 August 1915
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	4th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia, 23 June 1893
Home Town:	Emmaville, Glen Innes Severn, New South Wales
Schooling:	Emmaville Public School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Miner
Died:	Killed in Action, France, 15 April 1917, aged 23 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Emmaville War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)

World War 1 Service

9 Aug 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3198, 4th Infantry Battalion
20 Dec 1915:	Involvement Private, 3198, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
20 Dec 1915:	Embarked Private, 3198, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney
15 Apr 1917:	Involvement Private, 3198, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3198 awm_unit: 4th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-04-15

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

A son of Henry William and Florence Purvis, of Emmaville, NSW, Henry Purvis was born near Tenterfield NSW, and had an older brother 1222 Donald Purvis, 1st Battalion AIF. Donald was killed up at Ypres during September 1917. Another younger brother 2630 Alfred William Alexander Purvis of the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion was awarded the Military Medal “for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty’ during an Australian assault during 1918.

Henry Purvis was seen to be killed instantly just in front of Boursies, during the German attack at Lagnicourt. ‘He was taking a message from one platoon to another and was shot "thro" the head. We buried him where he fell.’ Henry’s grave was subsequently lost.

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