STOBAUS, Harold Walter
| Service Number: | 5306 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 January 1916, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 23rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Flemington, Victoria, Australia, April 1896 |
| Home Town: | Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Nelson Central Boys School, New Zealand |
| Occupation: | Motor mechanic |
| Died: | Wounds, 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, France, 6 May 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Grevillers British Cemetery Plot III, Row E, Grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5306, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5306, 22nd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 28 Jul 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5306, 22nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 6 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 5306, 23rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5306 awm_unit: 23 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-06 |
Private Harold Stobaus - Letters
At enlistment for the AIF Private Harold Stobaus wrote to his former school master & headmaster - Mr F. G. Gibbs - at Central School, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.
During his service with the AIF in France Private Stobaus and his former school headmaster kept up continuing correspondence.
The last letter received by Mr Gibbs, at Nelson, from Private Stobaus was received 2 days after Private Stobaus had been killed in action - at France.
Copies of the letters, written by Private Stobaus, are held by the Nelson Provincial Museum, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand. www.nelsonmuseum.org.nz
Submitted 1 November 2016 by Jenifer Everett
Biography contributed by Jenifer Everett
Private Harold Walter STOBAUS - Son of Arthur & Henrietta STOBAUS of Ascot Vale, Victoria
Educated at Central Boys School, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.
Occupation : Motor Mechanic
Enlisted : 23 January 1916 at Melbourne. Aged 18 years.
Unit : 22nd Battalion, 14th Reinforcements AIF.
Embarked from Australia for France - 28 July 1916 - from Port Melbourne - aboard HMAT A32 "Themistocles".
Served at France & Belgium 1916-1917.
Died of wounds at Beullecourt, France 6 May 1917. Aged 20 years
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From How We Served
5302 Private Harold Walter Stobaus of Flemington and Ascot Vale, Victoria, had been employed as a motor mechanic, but prior to this he had undergone his schooling at the Boys Central School at Nelson, New Zealand, after which he returned to Australia. Harold then volunteered for War Service on the 22nd of January 1916 at the age of 18.
Allocated to reinforcements for the 22nd Battalion, 1st AIF, Harold embarked for England and further training on the 23rd of July and then was sent over to France in November.
Following his arrival in France, and his last phase of training within 'The Bull Ring' at Etaples, Harold was transferred over to the 23rd Battalion on the 30th of December 1916.
After a short spell in the trenches, Harold's Unit was committed to the Second Battle of Bullecourt which commenced on the 3rd of May 1917.
During this action, Harold received a serious gunshot wound to his lungs and was evacuated back to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on the following day.
Harold's wounds were fatal and he died on the night of the 5th of May at the age of 20.
Unlike many of his Unit who died at Bullecourt, Harold received a formal burial and was interred within the Grevillers British Cemetery, Grevillers, Picardie, France.
Back home in Australia, Harold's supreme sacrifice made during the 'Great War' was privately commemorated at the Stobaus's family collective gravesite within Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria.
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