Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

LCpl Robert Henery Stanley Dean

When I first began tracing the lives of the Great War generation from Ballarat and district over 20-years ago, there were several individuals who made an instant impact on me – all for a variety of reasons. One young lad in particular was Harry Dean – a bit of a kid who, as they were wont to say in the war years, played a man’s part.

It is always interesting to incorporate a little family background when writing about one of our servicemen or women, indeed it helps to paint a more intense picture if you know where a person’s roots belong. That is certainly the case with this Robert Henry Stanley Dean, who was born at Ballarat in 1895. He was the sixth child of Samuel Dean and Mary Jane “Polly” Hodge. Whilst Samuel Dean was born at Magpie on the outskirts of Ballarat, he was actually the descendant of convicts sent to Tasmania.

Polly, however, was from the Cornish village of Altarnun, on the north-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor. She had emigrated with her family to the North Island of New Zealand. It was there that she met and married Samuel Dean in 1883.

Samuel brought his new wife back to Ballarat and it was here that their seven children were born.

In the early years of the new Century, Samuel had built up a business working as a carter and the family lived at 12 Webster Street. The children, including young Harry, began their formal schooling at the Wendouree State School.

After moving to Howitt Street, in Ballarat North, Harry was enrolled at the Black Hill State School where he completed his education.
Life certainly involved far more than just school for Harry. He attended the Knox Presbyterian Church, which used to occupy the block on the north-west corner of Lydiard Street. Football was also a passion for Harry and he was involved with both the Soldiers Hill and North City clubs. He also progressed from school cadets through to the 71st Infantry Regiment, where he received a solid grounding in all aspects of military training.

Harry had been still in his early teens when he gained an apprenticeship as moulder at the foundry of Ronaldson Brothers & Tippett. It was a particularly long indenture of eight years and he was still under contract when he decided to volunteer for active service. When he enlisted at Ballarat on 8 July 1915, Harry required both his parent’s consent and a release from his employer. David Ronaldson, one of the founders of the firm, wrote the following waiver for young Harry.

‘To Whom it May Concern…This is to certify that we the undersigned do hereby release Henry Dean from his duties under Indenture Agreement, until his return from active service with the Imperial Forces…’

On being examined by Dr F. B. Crawford, the medical officer at the Ballarat Recruiting Depot, Harry was described as being 5-feet 6-inches in height, with a rather slight chest measurement of 30½-inches, however, he could achieve an expansion of 33-inches which was deemed passable. His weight was not recorded, but it was reasonable to assume that, although the doctor noted that he was of good physical condition, he was probably only of light build. His rather open and youthful countenance – with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair – would soon be captured in a portrait his parents would cherish.

By this time, the Dean family had settled into premises at 66 Doveton Street north, and it was from this home that Harry left to enter camp at Seymour on 16 July. Four weeks later he was transferred to Broadmeadows, where he spent a further two months. A stint in the Ballarat Camp ensued before Harry was transferred yet again, this time to Williamstown where he received his posting to the 13th reinforcements destined for the 14th Infantry Battalion. Now, I have come to the conclusion that this might be one of the unluckiest groups in the AIF – many of the 13/14th were from Ballarat and the casualty rate was particularly high.

A final transfer back to Broadmeadows on 2 December pre-empted embarkation for the 13/14th. Harry had a chance to see his family one last time before boarding the troopship Demosthenes at Port Melbourne on 29 December.

Harry had been in Egypt over two months before he finally joined the 14th Battalion at Serapeum on 2 April 1916. It wasn’t long before he was on his way to France. On the 1 June the 985 officers and men of the 14th Battalion were loaded onboard the transport Transylvania at Alexandria. The ship pulled out to sea at 10am the following day. Despite the hazards of submarines, the crossing of the Mediterranean was particularly calm and uneventful and they docked at Marseilles five days later.

On 8 June, the 14th Battalion entrained for the north of France. The trip to Bailleul, through some of the prettiest countryside, took three days. A special moment then occurred on 13 June when General William Birdwood inspected the men in their billets. The men were then issued with their steel helmets and gas masks.

The 14th Battalion was introduced to the firing line at Bois-Grenier on 28 June. Trenches in this sector, due to the high water table, consisted more of breastworks built above ground level, which was quite different to what the men would encounter when they moved down onto the Somme.

Harry, who was about to turn 21, received good news on 7 July when he was appointed to the rank of lance-corporal after Dick Garcia was promoted to corporal. Garcia would go on to receive his commission and be decorated twice for bravery.

It was apparent that Harry had already established himself with the men of his unit – amongst his mates he’d come to be known as “Deaner”, which was quite probably an amalgam of his name and the slang word used for a shilling – a deener.

Following an extended time in the trenches at Bois-Grenier, the 14th Battalion arrived at Warloy near the town of Albert on 27 July.
At 2:30pm on 6 August, the 14th Battalion marched via Tara Hill and Sausage Valley to Pozieres where they took over the trenches from the 26th and 28th Battalions.

Events of the 7 August 1916 were to go down in military history as the day the 14th Battalion’s Albert Jacka performed such an audacious act of bravery that is still talked about over one hundred years later. However, during the course of a German counter attack near Mouquet Farm, 23 men of the 14th were killed. The situation was fraught and confused, with many, including Jacka, badly wounded and others unaccounted for.

When the roll was called, Harry Dean was numbered amongst the missing.

Inexplicably, news that Harry had only been reported wounded soon reached Ballarat. Sadly, his parents were to suffer a very long, drawn out period of anxiety waiting for news of his fate. This was a situation all too many families faced. Accurate information was often difficult to access and the slow process caused untold worry.
On 1 October 1916, Mary Dean wrote to Base Records clearing showing that she was torn between official notification and news from Harry’s mates…
‘…Dear Sir, I have just received word by letter written by one of his mates from France that my son…whom you advised one about a fortnight ago as reported wounded has since died of wounds. Would you kindly let me know at your earliest if such is true or if you have been officially notified by cable of the same and oblige…’
Her query was met with polite red tape. So, she sent them a page from a letter written to Miss Lily Tait, of Landsborough Street, Ballarat North, that was dated Saturday 19 August 1916.
Unfortunately, the name of the writer was not given.
‘…My Dear Lily, just a few lines to let you know I am quite well and hoping you and all at home are in the best of health.

Well, Lily I suppose you have heard that poor Harry Dean was killed by the time you receive these few lines. Poor Harry was killed on the morning of 8th August, he was hit in the head with a piece of shrapnel and died a couple of hours later.

It was on the 13th August that I went over to where the 14th was camped and I found out about Harry & Bussa, and inquiring about other Ballarat lads they were all knocked out so I went back and I never felt so sorry in all my life, it was a couple of days later when I saw Joe Pattie & he told me the full strength of it, he said that Harry and Bussa was to [sic] game altogether.

Well, Dear you people at home have no idea what war is, there are shells of all sizes falling around you in hundreds to the minute. Poor old Joe Pattie is broken up about poor little Harry, he gets about as if he was lost…’
(Lily Tait’s own brother, David John Tait, who was serving with the 22nd Battalion, was killed in action on 5 August 1916. Joe Pattie, who had been so upset by Harry’s death, was himself killed during fighting around Flers on 28 November 1916).

On 17 January 1917, an announcement appeared in the Ballarat Courier that Harry Dean had now officially been reported wounded and missing action. It was a hellishly painful drawn out situation.
Investigations were eventually initiated and several members of the 14th Battalion gave evidence as to what happened to Harry. His friends, including his good mate, Jim Dorrington from Ballarat, made every effort to find out where he was. They couldn’t concur on his company and platoon – it was either B Company, V Platoon, or D Company, XVI Platoon. Some believed he had been wounded and died at a dressing station, but Dorrington was told by others that Harry had been killed instantly by a shell as they were consolidating their position, and that his body was ‘badly cut up’ as a consequence. There was no indication that he had actually died at an aid post or dressing station.

It wasn’t until the 28 April 1917 that a Court of Enquiry was convened by the Commanding Officer of the 14th Battalion and Harry Dean’s status was changed from Missing in Action to ‘now reported Killed in Action.’

The Dean family was duly informed and, on 20 May 1917, the flags on the Town and City Halls were flown at half-mast in memory of the 21 year-old.

Tributes flowed from family and friends for the popular young man following the news and on the first anniversary of his death…
In loving memory of our dear son and brother, L/Cpl R. H. S. Dean, who was killed somewhere in France, 7th August 1916.
Forth to the battle Harry hastened,
With many a comrade brave,
Who eager and strong like our loved one,
Now sleeps in a soldier’s grave.
Far from those who loved him
Comrades gently laid him to rest;
In a soldier’s grave he is sleeping,
One of Australia’s best.

- Inserted by his loving parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nieces, nephew, and grandma
In memory of my dear brother, L/Cpl Harry Dean, who fell somewhere in France, 7th August 1916.
A faithful brother true and kind,
No one on earth like him I’ll find;
One year has passed, but none can tell
The loss of a brother I loved so well.
But I know my grief I’ll have to bear

When his mates come back and my dear brother’s not there.
- Inserted by his loving and only sister Doll
In loving memory of our dear brother Harry, killed in action on the 7th August 1916.
He sleeps not in his native land,
But under foreign skies;
Far from those who love him,

In a hero’s grave his lies.
- Inserted by his loving brother and sister-in-law, Percy and Daisy, and little Mona
In sad and loving memory of my dearest friend Harry, L/Cpl H. Dean, killed in action 7th August 1916. I miss you most who loved you best.

- Inserted by his sorrowing friend, L. Gerrett [Laura]
In loving memory of my dear pal Harry, killed in action 7th August 1916.

A true comrade.
- Inserted by W. T. Gerrett (returned) [William Thomas; 14th Battalion]

During the afternoon of 22 June 1917, the students of the Wendouree State School planted wattle trees as part of Arbor Day celebrations in memory of former students – relatives of deceased soldiers, including the family of Harry Dean, took part in the planting.

Harry's final resting place was never discovered. He is commemorated on the panels of the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.