HOLTHOUSE, Vincent Walter
| Service Number: | 1555 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Exeter, South Australia, 21 February 1893 |
| Home Town: | Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Loco Cleaner, S.A.R. |
| Died: | Electrocution, Port Pirie, South Australia, 2 September 1927, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Pirie General Cemetery, South Australia Cemetery: PORT PIRIE Section: COMMON PROTESTANT 1 Plot/Grave/Niche: 155 Last Residence: PORT PIRIE |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 1555, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 1555, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide |
Help us honour Vincent Walter Holthouse's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
ELECTROCUTED.
Mr. V. W. HOLTHOUSE KILLED.
Fatality at Solomontown.
While screwing a nut on to a bolt at Solomontown electrical sub-station shortly before noon yesterday, Mr Vincent Walter Holthouse, aged 34 years of Parks street, Solomontown, linesman employed by the Pirie Corporation, came in contact with a live low tension wire and was electrocuted.
Mr. Holthouse died about half an hour after admission to the hospital.
Mr. Holthouse was standing on a ladder about 15 feet above the ground and was strapped to a pole, when the accident occurred. The linesman foreman (Mr. J. Ramsay) and another employe of the Corporation were standing below, watching Mr Holthouse at work above.
Suddenly Mr. Holthouse was seen to stiffen and his head dropped. Mr. Ramsay, seeing that the linesman had apparently been electrocuted, ran to the ladder, and mounting it, knocked one of the arms of Holthouse from off a live wire. Mr. Ramsay carried the unconscious man down the ladder.
Mr. Bowes, formerly of Pirie, was passing in his motor car at the time, and Mr. Holthouse was placed in the car and driven to the hospital. Drs. Yeatman and Rees were already at the institution and both doctors did everything in their power by applying artificial methods of respiration to save the unfortunate man's life. Mr. Holthouse, however, succumbed shortly after 12 o'clock.
It is understood that while Mr. Holthouse was screwing the nut to the bolt, his hand slipped and touched one of the live wires, causing electrocution.
Mr. Holthouse had been employed by the Port Pirie Corporation for about four months, and was formerly in the railway service for about 16 years. He leaves a widow and three little children, the eldest of whom is under seven years of age.
Mr. Holthouse was a returned soldier, and was well-known in Port Pirie. His sudden death came as a great shock to his many friends.
It is stated that the live wire touched by Mr. Holthouse carried between 300 and 400 volts.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96052664
Click images to start slideshow.