HARVEY, Bertie Cecil
| Service Number: | 4208 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 August 1915, Enlisted at Cootamundra. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Junee, New South Wales, Australia, 19 May 1891 |
| Home Town: | Temora, Temora Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 7 May 1917, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Temora Public School Honour Roll, Temora WW1 War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4208, 4th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Cootamundra. | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 4208, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 4208, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 7 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 4208, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4208 awm_unit: 2 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-07 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Bertie Cecil HARVEY, (Service Number 4208A) was born on 19 May 1891 at Junee. He commenced working for the NSWGR as a porter in the Junee district on 24 April 1914. This was the only position he ever held, and it was from it that he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 12 August 1915. He enlisted at Cootamundra on 6 August 1915, and gave his mother living at Combaning as his next of kin, and was allotted to the 4th Battalion.
He was wounded in action on 7 May 1917 at Bullecourt and while he was brought to the Regimental Aid Post he was mortally wounded, nothing could be done for him and he died of those wounds the same day.
Submitted 8 September 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Bertie Cecil HARVEY (Service Number 4208A) was born on 19th May 1891 at Junee. He commenced working for the NSW Government Railways as a porter in the Junee district on 24th April 1914. He was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 12th August 1915. He enlisted at Cootamundra on 6th August 1915. He gave his mother living at Combaning as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 4th Battalion
He left Australia from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Aeneas’ on 20th December 1915. He reached Egypt in February and joined the 2nd Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 14th February 1916. He went to Marseilles six days later. In late November 1916 he was sent to the School of Instruction from which he returned a week later.
He was charged that on 3rd December 1916, when on active service, he disobeyed a lawful command given by a superior officer. The finding of the Court Martial was Guilty, and he was sentenced to Penal Servitude for five years. This sentence was confirmed by the General Officer Commanding 4th Army but suspended. Harvey had spent five days in confinement awaiting trial.
In early February 1917 Harvey was sent to Command Divisional School. He rejoined the Battalion on 28th February.
He was wounded in action on 7th May at Bullecourt. He was brought to the Regimental Aid Post. However he was mortally wounded. Nothing could be done for him and he died of those wounds the same day. He was probably buried close by the aid post but this location is lost and he is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
The five-year sentence of Penal Servitude, which had been merely suspended, was remitted with his death.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board