HEAD, Warrie
| Service Number: | 4504 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1915, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Toowoomba, Queensland, 29 August 1895 |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Toowoomba South State School |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Fireman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozières, France, 23 July 1916, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Pozières British Cemetery Plot III, Row L, Grave No. 18, Pozieres British Cemetery Ovillers-La Boisselle, Pozieres, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Queensland Railways Toowoomba Employees Roll of Honour, Toowoomba Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australia (P.A.F.S.O.A.) (1), Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba St James' M2, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4504, Toowoomba, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4504, 9th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 31 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4504, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Brisbane | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4504, 9th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Help us honour Warrie Head's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Trevor
'...I learnt with sorrow about poor old Warry Head being killed, and Bill Smith being badly wounded in the thigh. Paddy ---(censored)--- my old stable mate at the Exhibition Grounds, Brisbane ---(censored)--- is missing but fear they have ------- . Well, you can just realise how I learnt the news, in fact I cannot think it is true yet. Poor old 'Warry' he was more than a brother to us all ever since the time of our departure from Australia. What he had was yours, and a better hearted and finer fellow than Warry Head I never met in all my travels. They told me he was only a few yards from 'Fritz's' trench...' from Darling Downs Gazette 3 Oct 1916 (nla.gov.au)
'KILLED IN ACTION.
PRIVATE "WARRY" HEAD.
It has been left for the 326th list of Australian casualties to disclose the fact that Private 'Warry' Head has been added to the many gallant Anzacs who have made the supreme sacrifice. The late Private Head was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs H. Head, of Seaton street. Toowoomba, and was one of the finest types of young Australian manhood. At the time of enlistment he was working on the railway and a number of the boys, who included Les Stuart, Malley Lewis and others decided to enlist and of course 'Warry' Head fell in with the proposal. They were all accepted and spent their training together at the Exhibition ground in Brisbane.
It was not long after Private Head's arrival in France that vague tidings were indirectly received by his parents that all was not well with their son, but they courageously determined to hope for the best. As time went on, and no further news came to hand, they still nursed the hope that he was a prisoner and would some day be restored to them. Some time ago Miss Campbell, who was engaged to the missing hero, received a note from a soldier on the battlefield telling her certain things and even then the hope that he was not killed still survived.
It is only now that the mystery has been cleared up and unfortunately it means the death blow to all the hopes of the dead soldier's dear ones. It is now definitely stated that Private Warry Head was killed in action. The young hero was universally popular with all who knew him and the fact that he died for the cause that Allies hold sacred may be some consolation to those who held him so dear.' from Darling Downs Gazette 24 Jul 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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