Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

2926 Private Walter Maxwell Harmer

James Harmer married Mary Ann Maxwell, the second daughter of the late James Maxwell of Manoora at St. Mark’s Church Penwortham. Their son Walter was born at Manoora on 25 January 1896.

Walter, a 20 year old butcher from Blyth, enlisted in Adelaide on 7 February 1916 when he was appointed to E Company 2nd Depot Battalion. On 1 March Walter was posted to 6th Reinforcements 32nd Battalion at Mitcham Camp. The 6th Reinforcements embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT A60 Aeneas on 11 April and landed in Egypt to continue training. Walter embarked again, this time from Alexandria aboard the transport ship HMT Huntsend on 20 June and then landed in France at Marseilles ten days later. After entraining across France Walter was attached to the 5th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples. It was here that Walter developed Influenza and on 18 July was admitted to 26th Australian Hospital. Too ill to remain on duty he was invalided to England from Calais aboard the hospital ship HMHS Brighton on 1 August. The following day Walter was admitted to West General Hospital in Manchester with bronchitis and after recovering was given a brief furlough before reporting to No.1 Command depot at Perham Downs on 28 September.

Unfortunately twelve days later Walter was admitted to General Hospital at Bulford with a case of VD. A month later he was discharged and on 8 November marched into 8th Training Battalion at Codford before finally proceeding overseas to France to taken on strength with 32nd Battalion on 21 January 1917. The only large battle in 1917 in which the 32nd Battalion played a major role was Polygon Wood, fought in the Ypres sector in Belgium on 26 September. A month after this battle Walter was given two weeks leave but again, after rejoining his unit, was admitted to 39th General Hospital in France with VD. On this occasion Walter was to spend 114 days receiving treatment before being released to the Australian Infantry Brigade Depot at Havre. He marched out from Havre on 6 April 1918 and four days later reached Blangy Tronoille from where the 32nd Battalion moved out to the line at Hamelet. Two weeks later, on 24 April, Walter was severely wounded in the right forearm when the battalion area was heavily shelled with mustard gas and high explosives.

Walter was taken from the trenches by 15th Australian Field Ambulance to 61st Casualty Clearing Station and then to 4th Casualty Clearing Station. For the second time Walter was invalided to England where, on 20 May, he was admitted to Southwark Military Hospital at East Dulwich Grove. Two months after his admission Walter was transferred to 1st Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield from where he was granted twelve days leave. Three days after returning from leave Walter was again admitted to hospital. With the war ended Walter left England aboard the Hospital Transport D33 Suevic on 20 November 1918 and, after celebrating Christmas and the New Year at sea, reached Melbourne on 5 January 1919. Walter received his discharge in Adelaide on 17 August.

He returned to Blyth and married Millicent Nellie Lange at Balaklava in 1923. Due to ill health he leased his property in 1939 and moved to Adelaide where he died in 1953. Walter is buried in Centennial Park Cemetery. 

Millicent Nellie survived Walter and died on 26 August 1982 at the age of 83.