Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

JOHN HAROLD DOOLEY (1902 - unknown)

John Harold Dooley was born in 1902 to John Dooley and Ethel Emily, and lived in Redfern, NSW[1]. In 1914, Harold joined the Australian Army Cadets and in 1915 he went on to achieve a bursary for Sydney Technical High School.[2] In 1916 he would achieve an Intermediate Certificate, achieving high marks in English, History, Mathematics, German, Physics and Chemistry.[3] In 1917 John received a report that validated his hard work, receiving the highest mark in his class for History and a distinction for all other subjects.  John’s positive attitude to learning and his outstanding manners and behavior was rewarded with a consistent 10/10 for conduct each term, demonstrating his disciplined attitude towards life that was learnt from his Australian Army Cadet training.[4]

In 1918 on the 28th of May, nearing the end of the Great War, John walked into the Central Enlisting Depot at Hyde Park and attempted to sign up for war, but was rejected. On the same day John’s father had submitted a Statutory Declaration, declaring that John was below the required age limit to partake in the war.[5] At the time of John’s enlistment he was 16 years old. His four years spent in the Australian Army Cadets were overlooked as was the fact that he met all of the physical requirements.  

It is not clear whether John Harold Dooley took part in WW1 as many sources conflict with one another, stating his involvement in the war or lack thereof. There are some sources that demonstrate that he had a service number of 6781 and was a Private in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, 20th reinforcement, despite his enlistment appearing to have been canceled.[6]  

Due to his ‘late’ enlistment, and discounting the possibility of a canceled enrollment, it is possible that John Harold Dooley, being in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, partook in the Battle of Montbrehain on the 5th of October 1918.[7] This attack followed the breaking of the Hindenberg line, and was an attempt to breach the elaborate German defense system located in the Beaurevoir trench line system. The town of Montbrehain was thought to be integral for acting as a springboard for future attacks from the British Allies once it was successfully secured by the Allied Forces.[8] Montbrehain was claimed by the British on the 3rd of November, 1918. However, they were unable to retain it and lost it back to the Germans.

At 6.05am on the 5th of November, Australian Infantry units launched an attack on the French town of Montbrehain as an attempt to reclaim the lost town. The attack succeeded, taking 400 German prisoners and claiming 430 Australian Casualties. This action of the Australian Infantry unit would be significant in the process of securing the Hindenberg and Beaurevoir lines and was an integral part of a larger campaign that would lead to the ultimate victory of the Allies in 1918. However, this battle would be the last infantry action of the Australian Imperial Force on the Western Front.

John Harold Dooley returned from war, and in June of 1924 he married Doreen Mercia King in, Wanganui, New Zealand, through Baptist Church rites. [9] During John’s adult years he began working for the education department. Although it seemed that John had completely left behind his life in war, he remained interested in flying, and became a pilot in the “Aero Club of New South Wales”. In 1929, John had an accident flying a D.H Moth and crashed it into the sea at Cronulla beach. After attempting to turn the plane, it began to spin resulting in John losing control and plummeting down to the waters of Cronulla. John was saved however, by the Cronulla Surf Club.[10] John suffered severe shock, a dislocated/fractured shoulder and abrasions on the left arm.

John and Doreen divorced in 1932 and John continued to work as a teacher.  In 1934, John began a course in economics at Sydney University and received a Bachelor of Economics in 1937.[11] On the 31st of January, 1966 at the age of 63 and eleven months, John Harold Dooley retired from his teaching career.[12]

By Alastair Ho

Year 9 – Sydney Technical High School

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attestation Paper for Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad. (1918). [War Enlistment Form] National Archives of Australia, B2455. Sydney.
Awm.gov.au. (2018). 20th Australian Infantry Battalion. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51460 [Accessed 31 Jul. 2018].
COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA - STATUTORY DECLARATION. (1918). [Statutory Declaration National Archives of Australia, B2455. Sydney.
Discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au. (2018). John Harold Dooley | Discovering Anzacs | National Archives of Australia and Archives NZ. [online] Available at: https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/150746 [Accessed 26 Jun. 2018].
Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (1966). RETIREMENTS-TEACHERS. Sydney, p.593.
Rankin, A. (2014). Montbrehain, 5 October 1918: A case study in tactical operations and battlefield integration.
Rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au. (2018). John DOOLEY. [online] Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/326061 [Accessed 31 Jul. 2018].
Stevenson, K. (2018). THS 1917 Class 3B terms 1 and 2. [image] Available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UOHTj2k3Wx44m2iuw8RPXUKkn-6T9SsO.
Sydney Morning Herald (1915). BURSARIES - TENABLE AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS. - AWARDED BY THE BOARD. p.10.
Sydney Morning Herald (1917). EXAMINATION RESULTS - INTERMEDIATE CERTIFICATE - METROPOLITIAN. p.12.
Sydney Morning Herald (1932). IN DIVORCE - Undefended Suits. p.7.
Sydney Morning Herald (1937). THE UNIVERSITY - DR. A. E. Mills Deputy-Chancellor. p.10.
THE TELEGRAPH (1929). Crash Into Sea. p.9.
 

ENDNOTES

[1] “National Archives Australia. John Harold Dooley’s Attestation Paper for Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad.” 1918. Archived Material.
[2] Sydney Morning Herald. “BURSARIES – TENNABLE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS – AWARDED BY THE BOARD”, 1915. pg. 10. Print.
[3] Sydney Morning Herald. “EXAMINATION RESULTS – INTERMEDIATE CERTIFICATE – METROPOLITAN”, 1917. Pg. 12. Print.
[4] Stevenson, K. “THS 1917 Class 3B terms 1 and 2”. 2018. Image.
[5] National Archives of Australia, B2455. COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA – STATUTORY DECLARATION. 1918. Archived Material.
[6] Rslvirtualmemorial.org.au. “John Dooley.” 2018. Web.
[7] AWM. gov. au. “20th Australian Infantry Battalion”. 2018. Web.
[8] Rankin, A “Montbrehain, 5 October 1918: A case study in tactical operations and battlefield intergrations” 2014. Print.
[9] Sydney Morning Herald. “IN DIVORCE – Undefended Suits”, 1932. Pg. 7. Print.
[10] The Telegraph. “Crash Into the Sea”, 1929. pg. 9. Print.
[11] Sydney Morning Herald. “THE UNIVERSITY – DR. A. E. Mills Deputy – Chancellor”, 1937. Pg. 10. Print.
[12] Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. “RETIREMENTS-TEACHERS.” Sydney, 1966.  p.593. Print.