MASTON, Harold William
| Service Numbers: | 2167, 2167A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Rockdale, Rockdale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Bricklayer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 4 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial which is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of World War I in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2167 | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2167, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Karoola embarkation_ship_number: A63 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2167, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Karoola, Sydney | |
| 5 May 1917: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, Bullecourt (Second) | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 2167A, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2167A awm_unit: 3 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-10-04 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Biography - Harold William Maston - 2167, 2167A
Sergeant Harold William Maston was born around February 1897 in Kogarah, New South Wales and later lived in Rockdale. His parents; William Maston who was a prominent businessman and Annie Maston who raised Harold alongside his brother and six sisters.[i] Maston was enrolled in Sydney Technical High School from 1911 to 1914 where he displayed average academic performance but expressed exceptional skills in bricklaying. In 1914, he earned First Year Honours in Bricklaying which highlights his talent in the field as published by the Sydney Morning Herald on 24 January 1914[ii].
Before the war, Maston worked for Maston & Yates, a construction business which was co-owned by his father. The company was famously known back then for constructing notable buildings such as Sargoods Warehouse (Clarence Street, Sydney), Hardt’s Building (Wynyard Square, Sydney), and Somerset House (Moore Street, Sydney)[iii]. Maston’s years during high school were marked by his participation in military universal training for four years which prepared Maston for his enlistment into the Australian Imperial Force.[iv]
On June 16, 1915, Maston enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force to serve in the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Australian Infantry Sector. He began his military career as a private.
At the Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917 where his commendable actions during this battle earned him the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The reason for earning this medal was described by his supervising officer in the Army Form W.3121: “At Bullecourt, France on 1st May 1917 L.Sgt MASTON shows great coolness and courage during a strong enemy counter-attack. Though this platoon suffered heavy casualties & twice wounded himself he remained at his post and so inspired the few men left that they were able to hold out until relief arrived”.[v]
Following his heroic actions at Bullecourt, Maston was promoted to Sergeant, a rank normally only achieved after at least a decade of military service. The speed at which he was promoted further highlights his ability to distinguish himself. As a sergeant, he led a platoon of up to 40 soldiers where he continued to demonstrate his leadership skills. Maston’s role in the Third Battle of Ypres also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, he displayed tremendous valor against the German empire, but his efforts were cut short when he was killed in action on 4 October 1917[vi]. At the age of 20.8 years old, Maston is remembered at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium.[vii]
Harold William Maston’s death was a very devastating experience for his family, so unbearable his father wrote several letters to the government. By taking matters into his own hands, he had traveled to France to visit his son’s grave. Sadly on route, William Maston tragically passed away in Ardennes, Belgium[viii].
[i] Stevenson, Ken (MASTON Circular ROH) – Particulars Required for the Roll of Honour of Australia in the Memorial War Museum, Research on Google Drive
[ii] ‘Sydney Morning Herald January’ 24, 1914 Edition – Trove National Library of Australia: 24 Jan 1914 - TECHNICAL EDUCATION. - Trove (nla.gov.au)
[iii] ‘Building: The Magazine for the architect, builder, property owner, and merchant’. Volume 6 Number 67. 12 March 1913. Page 65 to Page 69 - Trove National Library of Australia Pages 67 to 71: Vol. 6, No. 67 (12 Mar., 1913) (nla.gov.au)
[iv]Stevenson, Ken (MASTON Circular ROH) – Particulars Required for the Roll of Honour of Australia War Museum, Research on Google Drive
[v] Army Form W.3121. 12 May 1917. D.J Moore. Distinguished Conduct Medal - AWM 28
[vi] Australian War Memorial - Harold William Maston | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
[vii] Stevenson Ken, (MASTON Harold William) – Research on Google Drive - MASTON Harold William.docx - Google Docs
[viii] Trove National Library of Australia. March 4, 1930. - 04 Mar 1930 - MR. WILLIAM MASTON. - Trove (nla.gov.au)
Bibliography
Sergeant Harold William Maston, AIF Project, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=190576
Sergeant Harold William Maston, Australian War Memorial, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1616905
Sergeant Harold William Maston, Amazon Web Services, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - AWM 28
Sergeant Harold William Maston,Commonwealth War Graves, Accessed: 30 July 2024 - Sergeant Harold William Maston | War Casualty Details 463905 | CWGC
Ken Stevenson Research on Google Drive
Sergeant Harold William Maston DCM, NSW War Memorials Register, Accessed: 29 July 2024 - Sergeant Harold William Maston DCM | NSW War Memorials Register
Sydney Technical High School Honour Board, Excel, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - Sydney_Technical_High_School_WW_1_Honour_Board_Name.xlsx (live.com)
MR.WILLIAM MASTON 04 Mar 1930, Trove National Library of Australia, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - 04 Mar 1930 - MR. WILLIAM MASTON. - Trove (nla.gov.au)
Sergeant Harold William Maston, Virtual War Memorial, Accessed: 2 September 2024 - https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/159647
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