MAHONEY, Harold John
| Service Number: | 5734 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 May 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company |
| Born: | Jerilderie, New South Wales, Australia, 31 July 1890 |
| Home Town: | Jerilderie, Jerilderie, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Joseph's (Catholic) School, Jerilderie, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway employee |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 18 January 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Menin Road South Military Cemetery Plot III, Row H, Grave No. 28 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Jerilderie War Memorial, Wickham "Citizens of Wickham" Volunteers Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 1 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5734, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 5734, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: '' | |
| 3 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 5734, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Sydney | |
| 17 Jan 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company | |
| 18 Feb 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company | |
| 18 Jan 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 5734, 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5734 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-01-18 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Harold John MAHONEY (Service Number 5734) was born on 31st July 1890 at Jerilderie. He first worked at a probationer in the Traffic Branch of the Railways in the Junee District from 4th February 1907. Later in that year he progressed to become a junior porter. From December 1911 he was designated clerk and (telegraph) operator at Culcairn. In September the next year he moved to Albury as a porter and a couple of months later in the same job to Newcastle. After six months there he was ‘disrated’ and then described as a ticket collector.
It was from this role that he was released to join the Expeditionary Forces on 16th August 1915. He enlisted at Kiama on 1st May 1915, giving his mother Susan as his next of kin. Allotted to the 13th Australian Infantry Battalion he embarked HMAT ‘Clan McGillivray’ on 3rd May 1916 at Sydney. After a short period of further training in Egypt Mahoney embarked on HMAT ‘Megantic’ at Alexandria on 6th August 1916, reaching the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples, via England, on 24th September, and joining the 13th Battalion in Belgium on 4 October.
On 17th January 1917 he transferred to the Anzac Light Railways. At this time the British were seeking experienced men to operate railways which were the main supply lines behind the front. Five units were raised from experienced railwaymen in Australia and a sixth from those already serving in France and Belgium. On 18th February Mahoney was promoted to Sergeant. In November he had leave in England. At some stage the Anzac Light Railways were renamed the 17th Light Railway Operating Company.
Harold Mahoney was killed in action on 18th January 1918. Corporal D.J. Heath (539) reported:
‘I knew Sergt. H. J. Mahoney by sight when he was at Hell Fire Corner doing control work, his unit is now known as the 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Coy. I was not present when he was killed but his C.S.M. H.J.Smith told me that he had buried him in the Menin Road Military Cemetery, Ypres. He also told me that Mahoney was riding on a truck of a Light Railway Train when a piece of shell struck him in the neck and he fell under the trucks and his body was badly mangled.’
He is buried in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.