HARDY, William Henry
| Service Number: | 4139 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia , 1892 |
| Home Town: | Peterborough (Formerly Petersburg), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed In Action Attack On Malt Trench, Warlencourt-Eaucourt Nord-Pas-de-Calais France, 2 March 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Warlencourt British Cemetery Special Memorial - see cemetery link for details, Warlencourt British Cemetery, Warlencourt-Eaucourt, Arras, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Port Pirie Fathers of Sailors and Soldiers Association Port Pirie District Roll of Honor WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 4139, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 15 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Mongolia embarkation_ship_number: public_note: |
|
| 9 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4139, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 27 Feb 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4139, 27th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Help us honour William Henry Hardy's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Heather Ernszt
Private William Henry Hardy was born in Broken Hill to parents Alfred George and Annie HARDY.
William was their second son to be killed in the war.
Biography
In February 1917 the Germans took the Allies by surprise by withdrawing from their front line to consolidate along the much stronger and straighter / shorter front along the Hindenberg Line. The 27th Battalion for its part, followed the retreating Germans as they went.
As part of their retreat German forces had left behind fortified towns and isolated fortified positions to slow down the Allied advance. The 27th Battalion was responsible for attacking one of these isolated fortified positions near Warlencourt. As a result on the night 2/3 March 1917 the 27th Battalion attacked the German Malt Trench near the Butte du Warlencourt, a terrain feature that gave significant advantage in terms of observation.
AWM - 27th battalion war diary out lines the course of events leading up to a major attack on 2 March. It is paraphrased here:
The 27th Battalion went into the line near Warlencourt on 27 February 1917, relieving the 24th Battalion (Victoria) as part of the follow up of the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.
Its major operation there took place on 2 March which consisted of an attack towards a German defensive position (Malt Trench) and an attempt to link up with the 17th Battalion of the 5th Brigade on their right flankThe assault was flanked and 'turned' by the Germans but a 27th Bn counterattack was organised and executed successfully by Captain Devonshire and led by Lieutenant Davies securing the Grevilliers line of some 500m of trench. The sum total of casualties was significant:
3 officers, Lieutenants Botten, Lewis and Caldwell were KIA and Captain Joyce MC severely wounded. 22 OR were killed and 95 wounded.
The Battalion war diary reports 60 enemy killed and 29 PoW taken.
William Hardy was among those killed in this action
William Hardy is one of some 55 soldiers whose remains are believed to be interred in the cemetery but not explicitly identified. There are other 27th Battalion personnel killed on or about the same day / time who are similarly recognised on Special Memorials. A number are listed below:
6243 Duckmanton, N.A. PTE
4139 Hardy W.H. PTE
2421 Routley A.H. Corporal
4221 Tasker T.A.C. PTE
5611 Lyons P. PTE
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