RICHARDSON, Harrie Oliver
| Service Number: | 7999 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 5th Divisional Train |
| Born: | Newlyn, Victoria, Australia, 1890 |
| Home Town: | Creswick, Hepburn, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Drowned at Sea after hospital ship was torpedoed, At sea, HMAT Warilda A69, 3 August 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 7999, 8th Infantry Brigade Train | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov 1915: | Involvement Driver, 7999, 8th Infantry Brigade Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Bakara embarkation_ship_number: A41 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Nov 1915: | Embarked Driver, 7999, 8th Infantry Brigade Train, HMAT Bakara, Melbourne | |
| 6 Dec 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 5th Infantry Brigade Train | |
| 3 Aug 1918: | Involvement Driver, 7999, 5th Divisional Train, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 7999 awm_unit: 5th Australian Divisional Train awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1918-08-03 |
Help us honour Harrie Oliver Richardson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 3rd August…… Harrie Oliver Richardson was born at Creswick, Victoria in 1890. His father – John Richardson died on 22nd November, 1898 at Newlyn, Victoria.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 14th July, 1915 as a 24 year old, single, Farmer from Creswick, Victoria.
Driver Harrie Oliver Richardson, Service number 7999, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Bakara (A41) on 5th November, 1915 with the 8th Infantry Brigade Train, 18th Company Army Service Corps.
On 29th December, 1915 he was admitted to No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis with Ivitis (Uveitis – a form of eye inflammation). He was discharged to Base Details at Zeitoun on 16th February, 1916 from No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Cairo having been treated for Trachoma (Bacterial infection that affected the eyes).
He embarked from Alexandria on 16th June, 1916 on Tunisian to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 23rd June, 1916.
Driver Richardson reported sick on 7th December, 1916 in France. He was admitted to 5th Field Ambulance on 7th December, 1916 with Influenza then transferred the same day to Anzac C.R. Station. Driver Richardson was discharged to duty on 17th December, 1916. He rejoined 18th A.A.S.C. on 17th December, 1916.
He reported sick on 13th June, 1917 & was admitted to 8th Field Ambulance on 13th June, 1917 with “P.U.O. Trench Fever” (P.U.O. – pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin) then transferred the same day to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station. Driver Richardson was transferred to 29th Ambulance Train on 16th June, 1917 & admitted to 10th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 17th June, 1917. He was transferred to England on 20th June, 1917 on Hospital Ship St. George with “P.U.O. Trench Fever.”
On 22nd June, 1917 Driver Richardson was admitted to Temporary Hospital No. 3, Exeter, England with Trench Fever (slight). He was discharged to Furlo from 17th July, 1917 to 31st July, 1917 & was then to report to Training Depot at Codford.
Driver Richardson reported to No. 4 Command Depot, Codford Wiltshire on 1st August, 1917. The Hospital Admissions form recorded he “feels weak” & he was medically classified as B1 A3 (Fit for Overseas Training Camp in 2 to 3 weeks). Driver Richardson was medically classified on 8th August, 1917 as B1 A4 (Fit for Overseas Training Camp when passed dentally fit. Driver Richardson was passed dentally fit on 19th August, 1917 – partial upper & lower dentures suppled.
He was marched into Overseas Training Brigade at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 20th August, 1917 then on 31st August, 1917 he was marched in to A.A.S.C. (Australian Army Service Corps) Details at Parkhouse, Wiltshire.
On 10th September, 1917, after complaining of headaches, it was found that Driver Richardson had corneal opacity.
Driver Richardson proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 20th November, 1917 to reinforce A.S.C. Divisional Trains from No. 4 Camp, Parkhouse, Wiltshire. He rejoined 18th A.A.S.C. in the Field on 12th December, 1917.
He reported sick on 21st January, 1918 & was admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance with Defective Vision then transferred & admitted to 5th A.D.R. (Australian Divisional Rest) Station on the same day. Driver Richardson was discharged to his Unit on 27th January, 1918 & rejoined 18th A.A.S.C. in the Field on the same day.
On 21st July, 1918 Driver Richardson reported sick. He was admitted to 8th Field Ambulance on 21st July, 1918 with Chronic Conjunctivitis then transferred to 5th D.C. Station on the same day with defective vision. Driver Richardson was transferred to 12th Casualty Clearing Station on 22nd July, 1918 with “Corneal Ulcer L” then transferred to Ambulance Train 7 on 25th July, 1918. He was admitted to 16th General Hospital at Le Treport on 26th July, 1918. Driver Richardson was transferred to England on 1st August, 1918 on Ambulance Transport Warilda.
He was reported Missing, believed drowned, from Ambulance Transport Warilda on 3rd August, 1918.
Driver Harrie Oliver Richardson, who was previously reported Missing believed Drowned on 3rd August, 1918, was now reported Died at Sea as a result of Enemy action in the Torpedoing & sinking of HMAT Warilda on 3rd August, 1918.
113 patients, one nurse, two RAMC staff and seven crew died in the sinking of HMAT Warilda which had been torpedoed by submarine UC-49 commanded by Oberleutnant H. Kükenthal.
Driver Harrie Oliver Richardson is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England as he has no grave. His death is acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/p---r.html
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