HARMON, Oliver James
| Service Number: | 4791 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 November 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Redfern, New South Wales, Australia, 1884 |
| Home Town: | Granville, Parramatta, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | North Granville Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Boilermaker's assistant |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 6 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Granville St Mark's Anglican Church Memorial Windows, Granville War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4791, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4791, 13th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4791, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney | |
| 6 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4791, 4th Pioneer Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4791 awm_unit: 4th Australian Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-06 |
Help us honour Oliver James Harmon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Edwards
"...4791 Private Oliver James Harmon, 4th Pioneer Battalion of Granville, NSW. A boiler maker's helper prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Star of England (A 15) on 8 March 1916. He was killed in action at Pozieres, France on 6 August 1916, aged 31. He has no known grave and is remembered with honour on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Eloise Hanlon
Private Oliver James Harmon (Service Number 4791) was born in Redfern in Sydney, NSW. Harmon enlisted and joined the Australian Imperial Force on the 11th of November 1915 when he was 31 years old.
Prior to enlisting to the Australian Imperial Force, Private Harmon was a boiler makers assisstant. Harmon had dark hair, blue eyes and stood at 5 foot 10 inches tall (178cm). Harmon had a tattoo of an arrow heart above his elbow.
Private Harmon embarked for service abord the "Star of England".
On the 8th of July 1916, Private Harmon was court martialed for disobeying a lawful command from a superior officer and using insubordinate language to a superior. He entered a plea of not guilty, but was later found guilty and received 14 days of field punishment. Private Harmon spent 13 days in confinement leading up to his trial.
One month later on the 6th of August 1916 while serving with the 4th Pioneer Battalion in France, Private Harmon was killed in action.
After his death, his father received a victory medal in his honour. His father also received both a memorial scroll and a memorial plaque.
Private Harmons belongings while serving on the front were also returned home. These belongings consisted of a purse, a coin, 2 silk handkerchiefs, a photo and a broken metal ring.
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