Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harris John Chirgwin

(served as Harold John Shirgwin)

Harris John Chirgwin, who served during the First World War under the name Harold John Shirgwin, was born on 10 January 1895 at Normanville, the eldest son of Samuel John Chirgwin and Laura Louisa Ann Gasmier. His birth was officially registered under the surname CHIRGWIN, confirming this as the original family spelling.

Harris experienced hardship early in life. His father, Samuel John Chirgwin, died at Queenscliffe (now Kingscote) on Kangaroo Island in February 1899 from chronic dysentery and mortification of the bowels, leaving Laura widowed with three very young sons:

Harris John
Promice King (“King”)
William Frederick George
Following his father’s death, Harris grew up during difficult years in South Australia, and by early adulthood he was working as a farm hand.

At the time of enlistment, he was living at: 1 Symonds Place, Adelaide and listed his aunt, Mrs Christina Flynn as his next of kin.

On 1 May 1916, aged 21, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force under the name:

Harold John Shirgwin

Service Number: 2254

The enlistment papers, embarkation rolls, and service records all used the wartime surname spelling: SHIRGWIN

He embarked from Adelaide aboard:

HMAT A70 Ballarat

on 12 August 1916

with the 50th Battalion, 4th Reinforcement, before later serving with the:43rd Battalion, A.I.F. on the Western Front in France.

His service file reveals the confusion surrounding his name even during enlistment. One medical document appears to record him as: “Harace John Shirgwin” suggesting officials may have struggled with his spoken first name. Later military paperwork mostly abbreviated the name simply to: “H. J. Shirgwin.”

Harris survived the war and returned to Australia on 14 December 1918. Like many returned soldiers, he resumed civilian life quietly after the trauma of war.

On 4 October 1919 he married Rose May Williams. Together they raised a large family in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, including:

Harold
Florence
Nora
Samuel
Alma
Walter
Their daughter Alma Violet Chirgwin, later Alma Emsley, would continue the family line into later generations.

Throughout civilian life Harris was generally known as: Harris John Chirgwin although both Chirgwin and Shirgwin continued appearing interchangeably in records. His South Australian death registration is especially significant because it directly links the two names, carrying the notation: “Symbol X. SHIRGWIN Harris John.”

This officially confirms the connection between the wartime and civilian identities.

Harris died at Kilburn, South Australia, on 22 August 1950, aged 55 years. He was buried with a military headstone at West Terrace Cemetery in Kendrew Oval, Row 7, Site 38.

The headstone itself tells a remarkable story. Originally engraved as:“Harold J. Shirgwin” the lettering was later visibly altered by hand to read: “Harris J. Chirgwin”

preserving both his wartime identity and the family’s preferred civilian surname spelling.

He is also commemorated on the:

Bordertown District of Tatiara WW1 Roll of Honor

Sources

South Australian Birth Registration:
CHIRGWIN, Harris John — born 10 Jan 1895, Normanville; father Samuel John Chirgwin; mother Laura Louisa Gasmire.
District: Yankalilla — Book 557/Page 261.
Australian Imperial Force Service File:
SHIRGWIN Harold John, Service No. 2254.
AWM Embarkation Roll 23/67/3:
50th Battalion, 4th Reinforcement; embarked HMAT Ballarat from Adelaide, 12 Aug 1916.
Nominal Roll:
43rd Battalion; returned to Australia 14 Dec 1918.
South Australian Marriage Registration:
Harris/Harold Shirgwin and Rose May Williams, 4 Oct 1919.
South Australian Death Registration:
CHIRGWIN, Harris John — died 22 Aug 1950, Kilburn.
District: Port Adelaide — Book 758/Page 4699.
Notes: “Symbol X. SHIRGWIN Harris John.”
The Advertiser (Adelaide), 22 February 1899:
Death notice for Samuel John Chirgwin.
West Terrace Cemetery burial records and military headstone inscription.

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 8/05/2026