S15047
RICHARDS, Harry
| Service Number: | 157 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 January 1916, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, May 1894 |
| Home Town: | Moonta, Copper Coast, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Hotel Porter |
| Died: | 12 February 1956, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia Row 10, Grave 74 |
| Memorials: |
Vietnam War Service
| 16 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 157, 43rd Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 157, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 157, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide |
Help us honour Harry Richards's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Pre-War
Harry Richards was born in South Australia, Adelaide. He also followed the Catholic religion.
Before joining the war, he was a hotel porter. A hotel porter is someone who generally greets hotel customers by the entrance and takes their luggage to their rooms, although this is a service in only quite expensive hotels, so he was very lucky in getting such a job.
When he enrolled for the war, he was given the service number 157, rank Private and a description of him on enlistment is as follows: he was 5’4¼” (153cm), was 128lbs (59kg) and had a fair complexion, meaning he had pale skin, and blue hair and light brown hair.
His distinctive marks include perfect vision and two tattoos. The first tattoo was located on the right upper arm and was a shield with the word/name “LILY”. The other tattoo was located on the left upper arm and was a butterfly. Both tattoos most likely meant something important to him. “LILY” could have been the name of someone important to him, and the butterfly could have been his favourite animal.
Life in Service
Mr Richards was in the 1st and 2nd Depot Battalions before being sent to the 43rd Infantry Battalion of the AIF and off to war. Depot battalions were battalions of soldiers that were recruited and trained. After being trained, they would then be sent off to another battalion for warfare, such as an infantry battalion.
On the 9th of June, 1916, Mr Richards and the 43rd Infantry Battalion embarked on the A19 HMAT Afric, bound for England. After additional training in England, the Battalion was sent to France, although Richards was not with them. He was repeatedly in and out of hospital through late 1916 and early 1917. Eventually the decision was made to send him home to Australia due to deafness. Richards did not serve on the front line.
Post-War
After Mr Richards was sent home due to deafness, there are no found records on what he did, but we can take a guess. Deafness was, and still is, quite a big problem when trying to find a job, so it is most likely Mr Richards took a job that required little communication.
He continued to live on until the 12th of February, 1956, until he died at the age of 63.
Resources
1914/15 STAR n.d., Forces War Records, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/1914-15-star>.
Australian Imperial Force Nominal Roll (cont.) 1916, Document Photocopy, Australian War Memorial, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1939365>.
British War Medal n.d., Forces War Records, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/british-war-medal>.
Hoyt, J 2019, 1900-2000: Changes In Life Expectancy In The United States, viewed 22 March 2021, <https://www.seniorliving.org/history/1900-2000-changes-life-expectancy-united-states/#:~:text=In%201900%2C%20the%20expectation%20for,live%20to%20reach%20age%2065.>.How to Become a Hotel Porter, findcourses.co.uk, <https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/career-guides/how-to-become-a-hotel-porter-17453> viewed 4 March 2021.
Harry RICHARDS n.d., UNSW Australia, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=253889>.
National Archives of Australia - Harry Richards n.d., NAA, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4377010>.
Training Camps: England n.d., viewed 22 March 2021, <https://anzac-22nd-battalion.com/training-camps-england/>.
Traynor, R n.d., Hearing Loss in the Trenches of WWI, viewed 23 March 2021, <https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearinginternational/2014/hearing-loss-trenches-wwi/>.
Victory Medal n.d., Forces War Records, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/victory-medal>.
Virtual War Memorial Australia - Harry RICHARDS n.d., VWMA, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/270891>.
findcourses.co.uk. (2019). How to Become a Hotel Porter. [online] Available at: https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/career-guides/how-to-become-a-hotel-porter-17453 [Accessed 4 Mar. 2021].
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