Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

HALLAWELL Henry Joseph 5025 PTE   MM

24th Battalion

1894-1957

John Henry Hallawell, our soldier’s father, was born in 1863 at Springfield, Victoria; John Henry’s mother, Jessie Campbell was born in Heathcote, in 1869; they married in 1893 and had one son and three daughters, all born at Longwood.

                     Henry Joseph Hallawell - 1894-1957

                     Mary Elizabeth Hallawell 1895-1921 (died at Prahran, aged 24)

                     Elsie Louise Hallawell (Parr)- 1900-1975

                     Edith Ann Hallawell (Nicholson)- 1904-1983  (died Yarrawonga)

When Jessie died in 1906 the young family moved to Pranjip where Jessie’s parents lived and were able to look after their grandchildren. Their father worked there as a labourer. The children attended the Pranjip Sate School for a time and then the Violet Town SS, so it was during their schooling years that the family moved to Violet Town. Henry‘s Service Records state that he was a labourer and that his address was Violet Town. He enlisted on 16 February 1916 aged 22 years.

The 24th Battalion into which Sonny was mustered had been raised at Broadmeadows Camp in early May 1915 and served at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December.  The following March the Battalion had moved to the Western Front in France where it took part in its first major offensive around Pozieres and Mouquet Farm.

So it was in France that Sonny, having embarked from Melbourne on 28 July 1916, was taken on strength by the 24th Battalion at the end of December. It was during the extreme winter of 1916-17 that he contracted mumps and was admitted to 13th Field Ambulance. On returning to duty in early May he received a severe wound to his right foot, the day that the 24th was involved in the second battle of Bullecourt. He was evacuated to a hospital in England where his foot was treated, and after a week’s furlough he was deemed fit enough to return to duty; this was on 15 August.  Back at the Front he was wounded again, this time in the right arm and leg. After another spell in hospital and another furlough to recover, he was back at the Front fit for further action by early April the following year. The AIF’s focus for the rest of the year was the Ypres Sector in Belgium and the 24th Battalion’s major engagement was the seizure of Broodseinde Ridge.

A quote from the Violet Town Sentinel at this time states that ‘PTE H Hallawell who was wounded in the foot some time ago, has so far recovered that he has now been put to light duties and expects very soon to be with his comrades again in the firing line.  As a souvenir he has sent home the bullet that was taken from his foot.’

On 12 July 1918 he was awarded the Military Medal for ‘conspicuous services’ rendered.  The citation reads: ‘At Ville-sur-Ancre near Albert on the night of 14/15 June this man was a member of a party of one NCO and 14 ORs that made the right entry in a raid by one officer and 48 ORs against three enemy posts.  On reaching the enemy line this man, together with his Sergeant, rushed an enemy post in the rear, and himself killed three Germans. He, then in company with Sergeant Prime (Sergeant A G Prime, bar to MM) engaged another enemy post, where six Germans were killed and one taken prisoner.’

Henry returned to Australia on 7 July 1919; he was discharged on 20 October.

After the war, he was employed at Wodonga by the railways as a cleaning superintendent.  He later became a train driver until his retirement. He died in Wodonga in 1957.

He married Edith Harriet Hunt in 1921 and raised three sons and a daughter.

        Raymond Henry Hallawell 1923-1953 - died young, aged 30

         John Thomas Hallawell - 1925-1973 - died young, aged 47

         Mervyn Leslie Hallawell - 1927-2002  - died at Beechworth           

         Norma Kelly Hallawell - b 1922 (Schubert)

There are interesting letters printed in the Violet Town Sentinel.  One of these published In August 1918 relates a meeting with Sonny Hallawell and DVR Gordon from Violet Town. The families back home welcomed any word of their ‘boys’ and would have shared them at their Father’s Support Meetings.

Service Medals: Military Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Henry Joseph Hallawell’s name appears on the Main Honour in the Violet Town Hall, Violet Town State School Honour Board, a copper plaque affixed to the front wall of the Memorial Hall and the Violet Town Presbyterian church. His name is also on the Pranjip State School Honour Board.

Tree No 44 was planted in 1917 by J Hallawell (father). In 2013 a Ceratonia siliqua – Carob Tree – was planted by Gary Hallawell (grandson). 

An article in the Melbourne Age dated Thursday 27 April 1950 reports that ‘John Hallawell, a 24 year-old railway fireman was a proud man yesterday when he reached Spencer Street station in the Spirit of Progress one minute ahead of schedule after having fired Victoria’s “crack” train for the first time.  Knowing how much depends on the fireman in keeping a “flier” on time, John put everything he had into his job so that he would not let the driver down. In addition John had the family honour to uphold. His father Mr Harry Hallawell retired this year after having been an engine driver for many years. Brother Ray is a fireman and Les, another brother, is a cleaner.

Henry would have been a proud father.

One must bear in mind that the Spirit of Progress was a steam train and in those the trains did run on time.

© 2015 Sheila Burnell