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Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage was born in Norwood on the 11th of November 1894. He was the eldest son of Henry James and Martha Elizabeth Armitage who were living on Edsall Street at the time of his birth. From a young age he was nicknamed ‘Rollo’ and his father; Henry Armitage, was the head teacher at Millicent Public School.

Harold was educated at Houghton Public School (in the Adelaide Hills), the Adelaide School of Mines and also Adelaide High School. After graduating at Adelaide High School he entered the University of Adelaide in 1914 with his father’s employment obviously rubbing off onto him. He started undertaking an arts degree specialising in English and History whilst also taking up a degree in education. Harold, however, took a leave of absence from his university studies from the 1^st of January, 1915 onwards until his services with the AIF were complete. Unfortunately, however, Harold Armitage would never return to teaching.

Whilst his educational studies were still in progress Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage also began working as a junior school teacher at the school house in Millicent with his father.

In his younger years Harold Armitage had also been a member of the cadets and Citizen Military Force. From 1910 onwards for two years he was a cadet at Adelaide High School and in 1912 was a Corporal in Adelaide High School’s Senior Cadets (J Company of the 76^th Cadets.) From 1913 to July 1914 he was in A Company of the 79^th Infantry holding the ranks of private, sergeant and lieutenant all for some period of time. He was also detached to G Company of the 79^th Infantry for short time.

When war broke out in August 1914 he had been eager to resign his commission in the Citizen Military Force and enlist in the AIF as a private in the 10^th Battalion. This, however, was refused by the military authorities. Consequently, Harold Armitage joined an Officer Training Course at Brighton in December 1914 and passed the course at the top of his class. He was then able to enter Oaklands Camp in Adelaide where he helped train the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Reinforcements of the 10^th Battalion before he was finally accepted into the AIF in March 1915 with the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant. He was drafted into the 5^th Reinforcements of the 10^th Battalion and embarked with them at Adelaide on the 20^th April, 1915 onboard HMAT Hororata (A20). He was 20 years old and a brilliant, yet tragically short military career awaited him. It is unusual; however, that he was allowed to embark overseas as AIF military regulation said no officer under the age of 23 years could be taken into active service. This rule, however, seems to have been relaxed on Armitage’s behalf because of his strikingly good abilities.

Harold Armitage and the 5^th Reinforcements sailed directly towards Gallipoli and he was taken on strength by the 10^th Battalion on the peninsula on the 2^nd of June, 1915 as a platoon commander. By August the 4^th, 1915 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and had already won much respect from his men under him.

On one occasion when waiting for an attack to take place on a Turkish trench he later wrote ‘it was a queer sensation to see the blue flashes of their guns only a few feet away, and feel the wind of a bullet whizzing an inch or so overhead. Our boys kept quiet and waited for my whistle, then gave the Turks the English Mad Minute – 15 rounds as fast as can be fired. My word there was a scatter.’

The attack was unsuccessful; however, with the Turks forcing ‘Rollo’ and his men back to their old trench with heavy machine gun fire. They launched another attack, however, with this one being successful. He later wrote, ‘we safely regained the new trench with only two casualties, neither serious, though the bullets had hummed round us like hailstones.’

Harold ‘Rollo’ Armitage continued to fight for the duration of the campaign and it would appear that Harold did not even get sick, ill, or wounded once, according to his service papers, which at Gallipoli was quiet rare. By the time the ‘Fighting Tenth’, the 10^th Battalion’s nickname, was withdrawn from Gallipoli on the 21^st of November, 1915 they were drastically reduced in size and thus fighting capacity.

In a letter home Armitage wrote that he had seen many sights, ‘pleasing, horrible, awe inspiring, hellish, but as far as I can say, the effect has only been to broaden my experience, [and to] make me a little more serious.’  

The expansion of the AIF followed the Gallipoli campaign; with half of the 10th Battalion (after receiving fresh reinforcements) forming the new 50^th Battalion in Egypt. Harold Armitage was transferred to this new battalion on the 26^th of February, 1916 being taken on strength on the 1^st of March, 1916. Twelve days later Armitage was promoted to Captain in 50^th Battalion and given command of his own company: C Company. The 50^th Battalion was soon, sent to France to fight and by mid June 1916 the Battalion was located in Northern France.

His first action as part of the 50th Battalion was at Pozieres/ Mouquet Farm where after 5 weeks fighting Australian had suffered 23,000 casualties - it’s worst ever total in 5 weeks. The 50th Battalion's had been heavily involved in fighting at Mouquet Farm from the 13^th of August to the 15^th of August and it was replaced by another Australian Battalion on 16 August. It was during this brief engagement that Armitage left his first true mark on his new battalion. He later described his experience of fighting at Mouquet Farm as ‘four days of hell and four nights of double hell.’ In March, 1917 he was recommended for a Mentioned in Despatches and he was later posthumously awarded the MID. (See story for MID recommendation.)

After this battle the 50^th Battalion received some time in the back line where it rested and recovered from its heavy losses. It wouldn’t be involved in another engagement until early 1917.

In February 1917 the Germans took the Allies by surprise by withdrawing from their front line to consolidate along the much stronger Hindenberg Line whilst also eliminating a very large salient from their lines.  "Salient’s" are projections of territory into enemy territory and leave the defender vulnerable to being outflanked and cut off and hence the German consolidation. However, the speed of the process took the Allies by surprise. The Australian Divisions began a cautious follow up which included the 4^th Division and the 13^th Brigade of which the 50^th Battalion was a part.

The so-called "Outpost Villages" were fortified and well-defended villages prepared by the Germans on the approaches to the Hindenburg Line.  The "Outpost Villages" were a mechanism to impose delay on any aggressive follow-up of the withdrawing German forces by the Allies and were also put in place to cause maximum casualities to the Allies.

The 50^th and 51^st Battalions were responsible for attacking one of these “outpost Villages” called Noreuil on the 2nd April 1917, with the other Battalions of the Brigade in Reserve (49^th and 52^nd).

Unfortunately, however, Captain Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage was killed during this attack in a trench. He was worried that the right flank was unsecure and open to counter attack when he looked over the parapet to assess the situation and was shot through the head. He died instantly, surronded by his men and his friends.  

Millicent flew its flags at half-mast to remember him when they heard the news.

Under fire he was known for keeping his cool and working hard to maintain cohesion and order in his company. He was always energetic in the field, and devoted time to moving among his men, making sure they understood the coming action, directing trench construction and ‘cheering the lads with his quiet words.’ Harold Armitage was strongly motivated by duty, and once wrote to his parents ‘I’ll go into action with the calm assurance that I have done my duty to my men and my Country. If I happen to fall rest content with the knowledge that I have played the game, and done my job thoroughly.’

After his death Major Harry Seager of the 50^th Battalion wrote to Mr Armitage, telling him the story of his son and the attack. (See story.)

After the battle, his body was recovered and buried in Noreuil Australian Cemetery, plot C 21. His moving epitaph reads: 'A Loving Son, A Devoted Officer, A Soldier And A Man.' 

By 1927 Armitage’s parents were living in the town of Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, with Henry Armitage teaching at Lyndoch school. Henry James Armitage resigned from teaching in 1929 after a teaching career of 44 years. He died on the 30th of November, 1950 and is buried at West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide.  

Contrary to the trove reports, Rollo's service papers show no record of him ever being promoted to the rank of Acting Major.

Rest in Peace, Lest We Forget.   

Awarded:

MID (Mentioned In Despatches, date of Recommendation: 2 March 1917.)

1914/15 Star: 2950

British War Medal: 10898

Victory Medal: 10852

Memorial Plaque and Scroll: 355743

Researched by Nathan Rohrlach from personal service papers, AWM biography and personal letters and diaries held on the AWM site - His Duty Done.

Refer to attached biographies completed for the Premier's ANZAC SPIRIT School Prize.