BIRT, Harry Williams
| Service Number: | 4131 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 28 November 1888 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | East Adelaide Public School |
| Occupation: | Salesman/Draper |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozières, France, 6 August 1916, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Serre Road Cemetery No.2 Beaumont Hamel, France Plot XXVIII Roe E Grave 12d, Serre Road Cemetery No 2, Beaumont Hamel, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Largs Bay St Alban's Church Roll of Honor, St Peters Heroes War Memorial, St Peters Spicer Memorial Church Honour Roll to the Fallen of the Great War, St Peters Spicer Memorial Church Stained Glass Window Honor Roll WW1 (2) |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4131, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Borda, Adelaide | |
| 6 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4131, 48th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4131 awm_unit: 48 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-08-06 |
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Son of Henry and Helen BIRT
Harry Birt of Anthony Street, Largs Bay, was employed at John Martins Port Adelaide by whom he was held in high esteem. By all accounts he had a kind and generous nature and was very popular. He was well known in athletic circles as well as a Committee Member of the Semaphore Amateur Swimming Club. He played for Semaphore Central from 1910 and whilst no records exist of him playing in the 1914 Grand Final side or appear in the team photo he is listed as playing in the senior side in 1914 as well as the years prior to this.
He served in Egypt, France, Belgium and Flanders and was killed in action at Poziers on the 6th August 1916 in France aged 26.
Eyewitness Accounts:
I knew Birt well, he came over in the 15th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion with me as a Private and got his stripe in France. I saw him with his leg broken on the night of Saturday 6th August 1916 and I was told by Colnel Hadley and Private Haynes that Birt had died a couple of hours after I saw him. His body was not bought back up to Sunday night . . . Sergeant Colston
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