LEAROYD, Harry
| Service Numbers: | 31223, N176981 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 October 1916, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 5th Divisional Ammunition Column |
| Born: | Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia, 27 February 1898 |
| Home Town: | Liverpool, Fairfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia, 2 January 1976, aged 77 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 31223, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 19 Dec 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Gunner, 31223, 5th Divisional Ammunition Column, RMS Orontes, Sydney | |
| 22 Nov 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
World War 2 Service
| Date unknown: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, N176981 |
|---|
Help us honour Harry Learoyd's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
Also served WW2, Service number N176981
WW1 Servcie
1st Divisional Ammunition Column
Rank - Gunner
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
23 July 19189 Returned to Australia
WW2 Service
8 Volunteer Defence Corps
Rank - Gunner
Enlisted - at Gladesville NSW
Discharged - 21 February 1944
WW2 - next of kin is given as Beta
Son of William Edward and Mary Hannah (nee Pearce) Learoyd
Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Biography - Harry Learoyd - 31223
Harry Learoyd was born in Liverpool, NSW, Australia on 27th February 1898(1). Learoyd's mother, Mary Hannah (nee Pearce) Learoyd, passed away on 3 September 1905, when he was only seven years old(2). Harry Learoyd’s father, William Edward Learoyd, was a carpenter, the president of the local agricultural society, and the alderman of Liverpool. He raised eight children all himself due to his wife's death and at least three of them served in the First World War(3). Growing up, Learoyd’s family lived in Northumberland Street, Liverpool, New South Wales. Harry Learoyd was a highly accomplished student, attending Sydney Technical High School and the University of Sydney(4). Learoyd served in World War One and World War Two.
Learoyd lived through a rather challenging early life, influenced by financial difficulties and the absence of his mother. On the 23rd of December 1904, Learoyd’s father, William Edward Learoyd, was issued a Sequestration Order and was declared bankrupt. Over the next several years, he faced the challenges of bankruptcy. After nearly six years, on November 25, 1910, he applied for a Certificate of Discharge, seeking to end his bankruptcy status and his application was successful(5).
Harry Learoyd qualified for Sydney Technical High School in 1912 and attended the school from 1912 to 1916(6). During his time at Sydney Technical High School, Learoyd enjoyed English as a subject, which contributed to his excellent performance in the subject. In 1912, Learoyd was in class 1C in term 1. Although he placed 26th in his class with a total mark of 913, he placed 7th in the class in English. His outstanding English grades are further seen in the next years at Sydney Technical High School. In the next term, Learoyd did outstanding in his subjects, ranking 2nd in his class and also ranking 2nd in English. In 1915, he received an average mark of 62.16 and placed 34th in a class of 60 students. However, Learoyd excelled in English class, achieving 2nd place with a mark of 88.5(7).
World War One broke out during Learoyd’s third year at Sydney Technical High School. On the 8th of October, 1916, Harry Learoyd enlisted straight after his period at Sydney Technical High School and left Australia for war two months later(8). Harry Learoyd's decision to enlist may hvae been influenced by his father, William Edward Learoyd, who had served as a sergeant in the Boer War before he was born(9). On the 19th of December 1916, Harry Learoyd embarked in Sydney as Gunner 31223 in the 5th Divisional Ammunition Column, on the RMS Orontes. On arrival he marked into Australian details at the No 3 camp at Parkhouse.
Learoyd’s unit carried and delivered ammunition to soldiers fighting in the front lines. His unit played a crucial role in the war and helped maintain and support front-line troops. It was not an easy job, as it required a lot of effort carrying heavy equipment to the front lines.
Learoyd returned to Australia on 23rd July 1919 and was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 22nd November 1919. He received the British War Medal and Victory Medal due to his service in World War One(11).
After returning to Australia after World War One, Harry Learoyd attended and graduated from the University of Sydney Law School in 1926(12). That same year, he married Beta Meldrum Thompson(13). On November 13 1936, Learoyd was appointed registrar of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, having previously served as the acting registrar(14). On March 22, 1939, Learoyd’s father, William Edward Learoyd, was hit by a car in Manly and passed away later in Manly Hospital After his death, he was buried in plot HH.013 in Manly Cemetery(15).
When World War Two began in 1939, Learoyd enlisted in the Australian Military Forces as Private N176981 in Gladesville, New South Wales(16) and served in the Australian Military Forces from 1939 to 1948. However, his precise movements during his service are unknown(17). After the war, he moved his residence to Eastwood, Parramatta, New South Wales, in 1954. Following the death of Learoyd’s wife Beta Meldrum Thompson in 1968, Learoyd lived on for another 8 years before passing away in Hornsby on January 19, 1976(18).
References
1. Australian War Memorial, 'Gunner Harry Learoyd,' Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/129880.
2. Ancestry.com.au, 'Record from Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1935,' Ancestry.com.au, https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=5544&db=AusMarrIndex&indiv=try&h=4005376.
3. Boer War Memorial, 'William Learoyd,' Boer War Memorial, https://www.bwm.org.au/soldiers/William_Learoyd.php.
4. Australian Imperial Force Database, 'Details for Gunner Harry Learoyd,' Australian Imperial Force Database, https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=173106.
5. Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, (Sydney, NSW: 30 December 1904), Issue No. 700.
6. The Sun, (Sydney: Monday, 20 January 1913), p. 5.
7. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive
8. Australian War Memorial, 'Gunner Harry Learoyd,' Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/129880.
9. Australian War Memorial, "Sergeant (Sgt) William Edward Learoyd, 1899-1902," [photograph], https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C53605.
10. Australian War Memorial, "Gunner Harry Learoyd", https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10591933.
11. Ken Stevenson, research on Google Drive
12. John and Judy Mackinolty, Sydney Law School’s First Hundred Years: A Century Downtown (Sydney: University of Sydney Press, 2023), 213.
13. Ancestry.com.au, 'Record from Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1935,' Ancestry.com.au, https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=5544&db=AusMarrIndex&indiv=try&h=4005376.
14. ‘New Registrar’, The Daily Telegraph, 14 November 1936, p. 5.
15. ‘Mr. W. E. Learoyd', The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 March 1939, p. 13.
16. Australian War Memorial, 'Gunner Harry Learoyd,' Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/129880.
17. Ancestry.com.au, 'Record from Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1935,' Ancestry.com.au, https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=5544&db=AusMarrIndex&indiv=try&h=4005376.
18. ibid
Bibliography
'5th Division Ammunition Column,' Birtwistle Wiki, accessed on 18th July 2024, https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/5th_Division_Ammunition_Column
'Details Reports,' National Archives of Australia, accessed on 10th July 2024, http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=7378972
'Gunner Harry Learoyd,' Australian War Memorial, accessed on 2nd July 2024, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10591933
'Harry Learoyd,’ The AIF Project, UNSW Australia, accessed on 10th July 2024, https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=173106
'Harry Learoyd,’ Virtual War Memorial, accessed on 2nd July 2024, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/129880
John and Judy Mackinolty, Sydney Law School’s First Hundred Years: A Century Downtown (Sydney: University of Sydney Press, 2023), 213
'Mr. W. E. Learoyd,’ The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 March 1939, p. 13, accessed on 30th July 2024, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17587665
'New Registrar,’ The Daily Telegraph, 14 November 1936, p. 5, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246971137
‘Publications - STHS Journal archives,’ Sydney Technical High School, accessed on 14th July 2024, https://sydneytech-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/publications---sths-journal-archives.html
'Record from Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1935,' Ancestry, accessed on 3rd July 2024, https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=5544&db=AusMarrIndex&indiv=try&h=4005376
'Sergeant (Sgt) William Edward Learoyd, 1899-1902,' Australian War Memorial, accessed on 20th July 2024, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C53605
‘Sergeant William Edward Learoyd,’ The Australian Boer War Memorial, accessed 25th July 2024, https://www.bwm.org.au/soldiers/William_Learoyd.php
Stevenson, Ken, Research on Google Drive
The Sun, (Sydney: Monday, 20 January 1913), p. 5
'William Learoyd,' Boer War Memorial, accessed on 20th July 2024, https://www.bwm.org.au/soldiers/William_Learoyd.php