S3976
HEARD, Harry
| Service Number: | 89 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 December 1915, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Snowtown, South Australia, September 1886 |
| Home Town: | Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Storekeeper |
| Died: | 3 July 1970, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Derrick Garden of Remembrance |
| Memorials: | Broken Hill Wesley Uniting Church Memorial Windows |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 89, 43rd Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 89, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 89, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 10 Jun 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Company Quartermaster Sergeant, 89, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines, GSW left hand | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, 89, 43rd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Harry Heard Biography
Before the war:
Harry Heard was born in the town of Snowtown in South Australia and was a storekeeper before he had became a solider. Harry had a brother called Harold Heard, whom he lived with in Wilson-street south, Broken Hill, N.S.W. His religion was Methodist which is a category in the Christian religion that does not follow the church of England. A Methodist core belief reflect orthodox Christianity. There had been many Australians that were Methodists that enlisted for the war at the time.
Enlisting for war:
Harry enlisted to be in the war on 31st of December in 1915 when he was 29 years old. He wasn’t married and was shipped off to war on the 9th of June 1916 from Adelaide on the HMAT (His Majesty’s Australian Transport) Afric A19, for overseas service with his Battalion.
During the war:
Harry Heard was a solider in the World War I. He was enlisted as part of the 43rd Battalion. Heard’s regimental number was 89.
He was enlisted as a private, but then promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant on the 30-10-18, this meant he was closer to being the most senior non-commissioned rank in the Army than he was before.
The 43rd Battalion was raised in March 1916 and was South Australia’s contribution to the newly formed 3rd Division. It formed in the UK, on the Salisbury Plain and Commander was to be General John Monash. It had been the last of the predominantly South Australian Battalions to be raised.
During his service in the war, Heard and his Battalion left Australia in June 1916, stopping over in Egypt, then later arrived in England for some extra training in July 1916. To their extent they suffered a mumps epidemic. They were then moved to the Western Front in December 1916, following with more training in the Salisbury Plain in the UK. They were engaged in trench warfare for the first half of 1917.
The 3rd Division's first major action as a group was on the 7th June 1917 at Messines, them and the 4th Division in Reserve. They then later fought during the the Third Ypres campaign at Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Wood and Poelcapelle. Then in 1918, the Battalion held the line against the German Spring Offensive, and being awarded a Battle Honour for their work. The battalion also heavily engaged in the Last Hundred Days campaign. In total 386 men were KIA (killed in action) and 1,321 were wounded of the Battalion.
Harry got sent to the hospital and was unwell many times, none of which stated the cause of this, and the type of illness Heard had. He was first sent to the hospital on the 26/1/17 due to illness. Then again on 10/6/17 wounded in action at Messines, suffering a wound in the left hand. He later got sick again and was sent to hospital on 14/5/18. Then again sent to hospital for an unknown cause on 26/5/18.
After the war:
Harry Heard was fortunate enough to return back home in October 1919 and later died on 2nd of July 1970. He was later buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery in Adelaide South Australia on the 3/7/1970, the day after his death.