MEALMAKER, Harold James
| Service Number: | 613 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Bakery |
| Born: | South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Rocky Lead State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Bootmaker |
| Died: | Lepto Meningitis of unknown & Lobar Pneumonia, Ward 2 of Military Isolation Hospital, Aldershot, Surrey, England., United Kingdom, 3 December 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Sleep On Beloved & Take Thy Rest, We Miss You Most Who Loved You Best |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 613, 6th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 613, 6th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 613, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 613, 6th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW to calf | |
| 12 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 613, 6th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 17 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 58th Infantry Battalion | |
| 19 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Field Bakery | |
| 3 Dec 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 613, 5th Field Bakery, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 613 awm_unit: 5th Australian Field Bakery awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-12-03 |
Help us honour Harold James Mealmaker's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Harold James MEALMAKER was born in 1895 in Melbourne South
His parents were Henry Duncan MEALMAKER and Sarah Jane DOWSING
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 3rd December…… Private Harold James Mealmaker was born in South Melbourne, Victoria in 1895. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 19th August, 1914 as a 19 year old, single, Bootmaker from Melbourne, Victoria.
Private Harold James Mealmaker embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Hororata (A20) on 19th October, 1914 with the 6th Infantry Battalion “E” Company.
On 5th April, 1915 Private Harold James Mealmaker embarked from Alexandria to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) – Gallipoli Campaign.
Private Harold James Mealmaker was wounded in action at Gallipoli Peninsula on 25th April, 1915. He was admitted to Hospital Ship on 25-30th April, 1915 at Dardanelles (date as recorded on Casualty Form – Active Service) with Gunshot wound to calf. Private Mealmaker was admitted to No. 1 General Hospital at (Heliopolis) Cairo on 29th April, 1915. He was transferred to No. 1 General Hospital on 1st May, 1915 then transferred & admitted to Convalescent Camp at Helouan on 20th May, 1915. Private Mealmaker was transferred to Base Details at Zeitoun on 26th June, 1915 fit for duty. He joined his Unit (6th Battalion) from Base at Gallipoli on 12th July, 1915.
(Note in my full research - following link for website – there is an article in the newspaper to his parents describing the landing at Gallipoli)
On 3rd September, 1915 Private Mealmaker was admitted to No. 3 Field Ambulance at Anzac with Dysentery. He was transferred to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Anzac on 6th September, 1915 then transferred to M. O. Ship Assaye with Gastritis on 8th September, 1915. Private Mealmaker was transferred to Alexandria on 11th September, 1915 & admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis the same day. He was transferred & admitted to 1st Auxiliary Hospital at Heliopolis on 11th September, 1915. Private Mealmaker was transferred to Convalescent Home at Montasa on 1st October, 1915. He was taken on strength of Overseas Base at Mustapha on 2nd November, 1915.
Private Mealmaker was written up for “Improper conduct i.e. insolent behaviour towards an Officer in the Reception Station” on 3rd November, 1915 at Overseas Base at Mustapha. He was awarded 168 hours detention. Private Mealmaker was taken on strength of Overseas Base at Cairo on 6th January, 1916. He proceeded from Overseas Base at Cairo on 21st January, 1916 & rejoined his Unit on the same day.
On 17th February, 1916 Private Harold James Mealmaker was transferred from 6th Battalion to 58th Battalion at Serapeum. He was transferred from 58th Battalion to 5th Field Bakery on 19th March, 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir.
Private Mealmaker embarked from Alexandria on 20th June, 1916 on Caledonia to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 29th June, 1916.
He was written up at Rouen, France “When on active service absent off pass from 10 pm 2/11/16 till reporting at Police Hut at 10.25 pm 2/11/16.” He was awarded 21 days confined to Barracks.
On 21st November, 1916.
Private Mealmaker was admitted to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital at Rouen – cause N.Y.D. (not yet determined). He was transferred to 51st General Hospital at Etaples on 2nd December, 1916 - cause N.Y.D. & admitted on 3rd December, 1916. Private Mealmaker was discharged to Base on 14th February, 1917 with his Casualty Form – Active Service marked in capitals “NOT VENEREAL.”
Private Mealmaker rejoined his Unit on 6th March, 1917. He was on Leave to United Kingdom from 17th April, 1917 & rejoined from Leave on 27th April, 1917.
He was sent sick to Hospital on 4th August, 1917; admitted to 1st Stationary Hospital at Rouen on 4th August, 1917 with V.D.S. & was discharged to No. 2 Convalescent Depot on 21st August, 1917. Private Mealmaker was discharged to Base Depot on 29th September, 1917 & rejoined 5th Field Bakery from Hospital on the same day.
On 4th November, 1917 Private Mealmaker was again sent to Hospital. He was admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital at Rouen on 4th November, 1917 – P.U.O. (Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin). Private Mealmaker was transferred to Ambulance Train 10 on 20th November, 1917 with Anaemia Gastritis & embarked for England on 21st November, 1917 on Hospital Ship Carisbrook Castle.
He was admitted to Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, England on 23rd November, 1917 with Meningitis. He was transferred to Military Isolation Hospital, Aldershot, Surrey, England on 1st December, 1917 with Lepto Meningitis of unknown origin.
Private Harold James Mealmaker died at 4.20 pm on 3rd December, 1917 in Ward 2 of Military Isolation Hospital, Aldershot, Surrey, England. A post mortem examination was requested to ascertain the exact cause of death. Private Mealmaker was found to have died from (Primary) Lepto Meningitis of unknown origin & (Secondary) Lobar Pneumonia.
He was buried at 2.30 pm on 6th December, 1917 in Military Cemetery, Aldershot, England – Grave No. A3.
Base Records wrote to Mrs S. J. Mealmaker, No. 2 The Grange, off McKenzie St, Melbourne, Victoria on 19th April, 1920 to advise that the remains of her son, the late No. 613 Private H. J. Mealmaker, 5th Field Bakery, had been exhumed from grave No. A. 3, Aldershot Cemetery, and re-interred in grave No. 312, Australian Section F, Brookwood Cemetery, Brookwood, England. “This work is carried out with every measure of care and reverence in the presence of a Chaplain.”
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England has around 360 Australian WW1 War Graves.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/mac---mon.html
Click images to start slideshow.