Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Died by machine gun fire on Broodseihde Ridge

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

1899 - Studied English, Geometry, Geography, Algebra, Arithmatic, Histsory and French.

Henry Stephen Wrathall, known as Harry, was born on 15th September 1883 at Geelong VIC the eldest of 3 children born to his parents Stephen and Adeline Wrathall.  His siblings were Leagoe and Thomas.  He attended Geelong College from 1895-1900 where he took first place in Latin in the Upper 4th Class in 1898.  He was also a member of the College Cadets for 6 years.  He worked as a plantation manager at Yallum Park Station VIC for a time then worked at a plantation at Gizo, Solomon Islands, until 1914.

Harry returned home to Australia to enlist in the AIF on 2nd February 1915 at Geelong VIC.  He’s described as being 5ft 7ins tall with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.  In early March he proceeded to the Officers’ School of Instruction at Broadmeadows Camp.  

On 4th May 1915 Harry married Annie Sutton at Christ Church, Brunswick, VIC.  He was Commissioned and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant 12 days later and assigned to the 8th Infantry Battalion, 8th Reinforcement.   He embarked from Melbourne for Egypt on SS Makarini on 15th September 1915, his 32nd birthday, and disembarked at Suez on 11th October 1915. 

He proceeded to join his unit at Gallipoli embarking from Alexandria on HMAT Argyllshire on 14th November 1915 and arrived there on 8th December 1915.  He served there for 10 days until the evacuation of the troops commenced.  He embarked from Gallipoli on 18th December on HMT Abbasieh and disembarked at Lemnos Island the next day and proceeded to Sarpi Camp.  He embarked from Lemnos Island on 2nd January 1916 on HMT Empress of Britain and disembarked at Alexandria on 6th January 1916.  He proceeded to Tel-el-Kebir Camp where he was admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance(3rd FA) with hives and was nursed by my grandfather, Cyril Morsley, who was serving with the 3rd FA.  In late February he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital and on the same day was transferred from the 8th Infantry Battalion to the newly formed 60th Infantry Battalion. 

From March to June 1916 the Battalion moved about in the northern part of the Sinai Desert to the camps at Moascar Camp Ferry Post, Duntroon Plateau and Hogs Back before embarking for France from Alexandria on 26th June 1916 on HMT Kinfauns Castle.  They disembarked at Marseilles 3 days later and saw their first action at the front on 19th July 1916 when they took part in the Battle of Fromelles.  This battle was a disaster for the Battalion.  In a single day it was virtually wiped out suffering 757 casualties.

In early October 1916 Harry was admitted to Liverpool Merchants’ Hospital at Etaples with malaria.  A week later he re-joined his unit and took part in the Battle of the Somme.  In late December 1916 Harry was once again admitted to Liverpool Merchants’ Hospital suffering with VD.  He was transferred to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre and discharged to the Australian Base Depot in mid-January 1917. 

In early February he was admitted with bronchitis to the Duchess of Westminster Hospital, a Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet.  He was discharged to the Reinforcements Camp at Etaples in late February and re-joined the 60th Battalion in early March 1917 at Flers.  The Battalion took part in the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt in May then on 15th July 1917 Harry was promoted to Lieutenant.  In mid-September 1917 the Battalion proceeded to Dominion Camp at Reninghelst, Belgium.  They took part in the Battle of Menin Road during which they moved briefly to Café Belge Camp and then moved up to the frontline trenches at Hooge in the Ypres sector on 25th September 1917.  They took part in the Battle of Polygon Wood which commenced the next day.  They then rested at Chateau Segard briefly before moving to Anzac Ridge near Polygon Wood in early October.  They moved to the frontline trenches on the 13th October 1917 to relieve the 30th Infantry Battalion.  They endured heavy bombardment the following night then just before dark on the 15th October 1917 Harry led 6 men from “A” Company out on patrol into No Man’s Land.  The following is an extract from the 60th Battalion unit diary: “A daylight patrol from “A” Company, to work in conjunction with the 59th Battalion, went out to locate the enemy.  It advanced 700 yards when the enemy opened with machine gun fire.  Lieutenant Wrathall was killed.”  He was 34 years old. 

He was affectionately called “Wroth” by his men who greatly esteemed him.  Several of them gave their accounts of his death.  One eye witness, Private A Bridges, who was an arm’s length away from Harry when he was shot said that he saw him struck in the temple by a bullet and he died instantly.  The bombardment was so intense that his body was not able to be retrieved at the time.  However, when Bridges and 3 other men when went back to the spot later that night to get Harry, there was no trace of his body.  Bridges concluded that Harry’s body was blown up and buried during the bombardment. 

After Harry’s death, his wife Annie received a Memorial Scroll, Plaque and Royal Letter from the King acknowledging Harry’s service and her loss.             

Harry’s name is one of the 54,000 names on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Belgium.  He is also commemorated on the Brunswick Town Hall Roll of Honour, Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour and on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour. 

Harry’s sister donated 3 stained glass windows to St Paul’s Church (Church of England) Geelong VIC.  Two were in memory of her parents and the third one as a tribute to Harry.  The windows were dedicated on the 24th August 1941. 

Henry Stephen Wrathall was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.  

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 13th July 2023.