Walter Moir HARBISON

HARBISON, Walter Moir

Service Number: 16375
Enlisted: 23 September 1916
Last Rank: Sapper
Last Unit: 1st Divisional Signal Company
Born: Melbourne Victoria, November 1892
Home Town: Parkville, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Optician
Died: Melbourne, Victoria, 10 May 1919, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton, Victoria
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World War 1 Service

23 Sep 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 16375, 3rd Divisional Signal Company
16 Dec 1916: Involvement Sapper, 16375, 3rd Divisional Signal Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: ''
16 Dec 1916: Embarked Sapper, 16375, 3rd Divisional Signal Company, HMAT Medic, Melbourne
18 Sep 1917: Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 1st Divisional Signal Company
1 Oct 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 16375, 1st Divisional Signal Company, Third Ypres, SW to head, severe
24 May 1918: Discharged AIF WW1, Sapper, 16375, 1st Divisional Signal Company, 3rd MD, wounds

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

From How We Served

The final resting place for; - 16375 Sapper Walter Moir Harbison of Parkville West, Victoria who prior to enlisting for War service on the 9th of September 1916 had been employed as an optician and was allocated to reinforcements for the 3rd Divisional Signalling Company 1st AIF.

Walter was embarked for England and further training on the 16th of December. By the 11th of September 1917 Walter had arrived in France and was officially taken on strength with the 1st Divisional Signalling Company on the 18th of September. With his Unit he was committed to operations in support of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, and within weeks of his entry into the trenches he was seriously wounded on the 1st of October by shrapnel (noted as GSW) to the head.

On the 16th of October Walter had arrived in England in a serious condition. His wounds having been stabilised he was shipped back to Australia as an invalid, departing England on the 11th of January 1918, and following his arrival on the 4th of March he was sent to the 5th Australian General Hospital (Melbourne) to undergo further treatment. Walter received his official discharge from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 24th of May 1918.

There would be no recovery in Walter’s health and his death due to his War service occurred on the 10th of May 1919 at the age of 26. Following his passing Walter was formally laid to rest within his family’s collective grave within Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria

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