PAGE, Harold Hillis
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 25th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Grafton New South Wales, Australia , 8 August 1888 |
| Home Town: | Grafton, Clarence Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Grafton Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | The sinking of the Montevideo Maru - (Civilian POW), At sea, 1 July 1942, aged 53 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Grafton Primary School Great War Honor Roll, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant General, Officer, 25th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Lieutenant, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Lieutenant, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane | |
| 16 Mar 1919: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Born in 1888 in Grafton, New South Wales, Harold was 1 of 8 children to Charles Page and Mary Johanna Hadden. He attended Sydney Technical High school in the early 1900s and later trained as a teacher at Sydney Teacher’s college from 1908 to 1909. He worked in the department of public instruction from 1904 to 1913 which showed his commitment to education. Additionally, during this time Harold studied part time at the University of Sydney , completing a Bachelor of Arts and beginning a Law degree. His early career was in the Commonwealth public service as a Clerk at the taxation department of Lismor
Enlisting on the 1st of March 1915, Harold was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant early on in his career. Page fought under the 25th battalion, which first landed at Gallipoli in September 1915, where he led a night raid with Sergeant A.V Bracher and was wounded by shellfire (abrasions to the face and feet) in December. After recovering, he was sent to the Western Front, where he led a 70 man trench raid near Messines in June 1916 and was wounded again, this time in the spine.(!). Harold was promoted to Major in July 1917. His tactical skill and bravery earnt him the Military Cross and a Distinguished Service Order as well as a Mention in Despatches which made him one of the battalion’s most respected officers. Page’s wartime service greatly shaped his military career as an excelling leader but also laid the ground for his post WW1 career in public administration.
After World War 1, Harold Hillis Page continued public service, through roles undertaken in both Australia and the Territory of New Guinea. Returning to Australia in May 1919, he married Anne Miller Brewster and he began a family of 5 (with 3 children: Robert, Sheila and Jean).(2) One of his children, Robert, would later serve in World War 2. Page resumed work in the Commonwealth public service and was posted in New Guinea, where he worked as a Superintendent of Police, government Secretary, and occasionally the acting Administrator. He had responsibilities such as managing civil affairs, overseeing law enforcement and helping govern the territory.
A.J Sweeting , Harold Hillis Page, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11 https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/page-harold-hillis-7942
Harold Hillis Page DSO MC (1888-1942) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Page-4019
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