S46
NELSON, Harry Ernest
| Service Number: | 393 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train |
| Born: | SA Adelaide, Norwood, 18 May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Driver |
| Died: | South Australia, cause of death not yet discovered, date not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Royal Oak Lodge Honor Roll, Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement 393, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '24' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Moldavia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked 393, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, RMS Moldavia, Melbourne | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Driver, 393 |
Help us honour Harry Ernest Nelson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Life before the war
Harry Ernest Nelson was 22 when he left to the navy, beforehand he was like any other boy growing up. He was born in 1893 and he went to an all boys college. He lived with his dad Andrew Nelson. As he grew up his job was a horse driver who transported people places (equivalent to a taxi). He also was a machinist this meant he used mills and lathes to make and craft metal tools and parts. When he went to war, he was single so he did not have children. One key feature of him was that he had a tattoo on both of his forearms. Just before he went to war he was given the service number of 393. Because he rode horses the navy recruited him as a driver in the war.
Life during the war
Harry Ernest Nelson used to drive horses, he also knew how to machine parts. Because of this the Royal Australian Navy chose to make him a driver. In World War 1, a Driver was rank for the British military, it was equivalent to a private. The driver’s job in World War 1 was to drive the horse which pulled the large artillery guns, these would be put in place and they would be used to great effect. It was an important job because the battle field was always changing and you would sometimes need to move those guns to push back the enemy.
Harry had his first job at Moldavia he was a part of the royal Australian Naval Bridging Train. The royal naval bridging train comprised of over 300 men who departed in June 1915, their jobs were to construct pontoons and bridges over water or land hard to travel over. This helps the soldiers and other people involved in the war. Because of the harsh conditions Harry had to go to hospital a number of times due to trench foot.
He embarked on the mission on the 5 of October 1915. He then went to war, he was driver in the war he stayed in the war for a couple years back and forth, and then returned to Adelaide safe.
Life after the war
After the war ended in 1918 all the soldiers that survived returned home, this included Harry. Because of the nature of the war many of the soldiers suffered post-traumatic stress or shellshock. I am not sure whether that Harry suffered this because he had a job a far way away from the battle field. When he came back he lived the rest of his life as normal. He still would be devastated that some of his friends were gone but he had fought for his country.
What is Anzac spirit
Anzac spirit can mean different things. Anzac spirit can mean the spirit you have reflected on Anzac Day. We reflect on what the soldiers had to go through we take the time to realise that if it were not for them we would not have as good of a life. We also pay tribute to those who have died and we pray and think of the soldier’s families. Another meaning of the Anzac spirit is an Anzac legend; the legend is that the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand possessed the same characteristics, these characteristics were illustrated on the battle field. Some included ingenuity, good humour, courage and endurance.
Harry showed the Anzac spirit in many different ways, just going to war takes a lot of courage to leave his family and loved ones and go to the battlefield. He also showed courage by fighting for his country. Harry showed endurance because he went to hospital twice but he went back to the war, he also showed endurance and persistence because he came back safe.
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