OBORN, Elder Harrah
| Service Number: | 31596 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 August 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Mount Barker, South Australia, 12 April 1894 |
| Home Town: | Mount Barker, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Mount Barker Public School |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 28 October 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery Plot II, Row E, Grave No. 4 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mount Barker Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Roll of Honor, Mount Barker War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Aug 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 31596, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 31596, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 23 Dec 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Gunner, 31596, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , RMS Orontes, Melbourne | |
| 28 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 31596, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , 2nd Passchendaele , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 31596 awm_unit: 5th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1917-10-28 |
Elder Harrah Oborn
Name: Elder Harrah Oborn
Service Number: 31956
Place of Birth: Mount Barker
Date of Birth: 12 April 1894
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 14 August 1916
Age at Embarkation: 21 years 11 months
Marital status: Single
Next of Kin: Father – David Oborn
Occupation: Blacksmith
Religion: Presbyterian
Rank: Private 105th Battery, 9th Field Artillery
West Adelaide Football Club involvement: Played 3 games 1915, debuted 19 May 1915. Elder also played for Mt.Barker Football Club.
Biographical details: Elder was educated at Mt.Barker Public School. He trained at Maribyrnong, Victoria with Field Artillery Reinforcements from 14 August 1916. He left Melbourne on board RHS Orontes on 23 December 1916, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 17 February 1917. Elder undertook further training at Bulford and Parkhouse from 19 February to 26 March. He was admitted to Bulford Hospital from 6 April to 2 June where he was treated for venereal disease. Elder was sent to France from Southampton on 19 September, where he joined the 5th Field Artillery on 19 October. He was killed in action in Belgium on 28 October and was buried at the Belgium Battery Corner Military Cemetery, near Ypres.
His father received Elder’s Victory medal, in May 1923 and his Memorial Scroll and Memorial Plaque in October 1923.
Submitted 22 October 2023 by christopher collins
Biography
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
"GUNNER ELDER OBORN KILLED IN ACTION.
Another of those unwelcome telegrams from the military authorities was received by the Rev. J. S. Thompson during the week, the message containing the sad news that Gunner Elder H. Oborn, another of Mount Barker's fine young soldiers, had been killed in action in France on October 28. The late Gunner Oborn, who was only 23 years of age, was the youngest and much loved son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Oborn, of Mount Barker, for whom and the other members of the family much sympathy is felt. Elder Oborn was a type of young man that Mount Barker can ill afford to lose. He was a fine athlete, and one of our best footballers, and highly esteemed by everyone in the community. The fact that he was also a model son and brother makes his loss the harder to bear for those who are left to mourn his death. He had developed into a splendid type of Australian soldier during the 12 months since his enlistment, having sailed for England on December 23, 1916. When his parents last heard from him, the late Gunner Oborn was still in England, and the fact that they were not aware that he was in the firing line added to the severe shock of the sudden news of his death. A brother of the deceased soldier, Signaller Anthony Oborn, sailed for England a fortnight ago." - from the Mount Barker Courier 23 Nov 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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