Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Completed by Loxton High School

Harry William King’s story starts on the 19th of January 1888 in New Cross, London[1]. He was one of two children, second born to parents William M. King and Eliza Burgess (fig.2) and brother to older sister Laura. Harry was raised in New Cross, Hertfordshire and Harting, England[2] during his childhood. He lived in England for the first 24 years of his life before coming to Australia. There is not much information about Harry’s childhood or schooling. Unfortunately, however, his childhood was short lived. Harry ran away from home at 14[3], attempting to escape his unpleasant stepmother, Anne Charlton. He then joined the Merchant Navy where he found a job involving morse code and radiotelegraphy[4]. He travelled upon many ships with the Navy, helping transmit and receive text from his teenage years until before his immigration[5]. His childhood was a very large influence on his ANZAC spirit qualities, helping him develop perseverance and courage to assist him with his future endeavours.

Harry came to Australia in early to mid-1912, supposedly as part of work with the Merchant Navy[6], where he arrived is unclear. Whist in Australia, he met Love Eunice Chamberlain (Eunice), marrying her on the 31st of December 1912 at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea2. They moved to Western Australia where Harry was officer-in-charge of the Broome radiotelegraphy station as work for the Merchant Navy. Figure 3 shows that Harry’s radiotelegraphy skills were examined by the Postmaster-General’s Department in Melbourne to certify that Harry was trained to work in the field. He passed the examination and received a certificate of proficiency (fig. 4). He and his wife moved to Adelaide shortly before his enlistment. They moved to 17 Liverpool Street Adelaide, and then 135 Gilbert Street[7]. His life pre-war was critical in his character development, his teenage years taught him to be independent and perseverance. Harry’s move to Australia was a courageous act as he came to the country alone with few belongings. Even in his early years, he was already displaying the ANZAC spirit.

Harry William King signed up to fight for the Australian Imperial Force on the 23rd of November 1914, possibly enlisting in Adelaide (fig. 5) (his place of attestation is uncertain as there are 2 of the same certificates with different places, fig. 5 and 6). The majority of the soldiers who volunteered their lives had the idea that all they would have to do was shoot a few guns and the whole ordeal would be over by Christmas of 1914. Harry saw this as an opportunity for a wild adventure as he had a passion for travelling. However, they were terribly wrong and had no idea of what was ahead of them. Harry was appointed Sergeant of the 3rd Reinforcement sent to aid the 16th Infantry Battalion and travelled to Alexandria, leaving Fremantle on the 22/2/151 estimating to have landed in early-mid April of 1915. It is likely that the 3rd reinforcement either had very basic or no training at all, given the timeline. The 16th Infantry Battalion fought in numerous battles over the course of WW1, some more known ones include Gallipoli, Somme, and Flanders[8]. Harry was only able to fight in one.

Harry landed on the shores of Gallipoli at around 5:30pm on the 26th of April with the rest of the 16th Infantry Battalion[9]. Around 16,000 soldiers arrived on the 25th in the very early hours of the morning. By morning of the day Harry arrived, around 2,000 ANZACs had been killed or injured[10]. This blood bath marked the beginning of a very gruelling few months. Arriving in late spring, the weather was quite mild during the day, reaching around 20-25°C but chilly nights of about 10-15°C were endured[11]. If soldiers were able to sleep at all, they would sleep in uniform, and some would rest in caves carved in the walls of the trenches[12]. Harry and all the other soldiers could have also been subjected to dehydration and starvation as a result of rationed resources, which was worsened the longer you were there. Although times were hard, the ANZACs always knew how to lighten up a situation. The soldiers would often go for swims, surf, or play games to pass time, swimming was also tactical for hygiene purposes, during their swim they would bathe themselves to help ration out the fresh water[13].

After just a few days, Harry was shot in the left tibia and fibula and the tarsus of his right foot during the Dardanelles campaign in the very start of May (1st or 2nd)[14]. He embarked for Alexandria on the hospital ship “Gascon” on the 3/5/1915 and was admitted to the 15th General Hospital in Alexandria on the 7/5 (fig 7). He was forced to resign from his position as Sergeant due to being medically un-fit for service as a result of his injuries. Over the couple of days that Harry was in Gallipoli and after his injury, he showed exceptional ANZAC spirit, he arrived at ANZAC Cove with courage in his stride, persevering over the few days he was in Gallipoli

Two months later, he embarked to England on the hospital ship “Letitia” on the 4/7/15 but was transferred to the hospital ship “Asturias” on the 17/7 (fig 8). He stayed in England for roughly a year to recover in English hospitals. Hospitals around the time of his admission would’ve been full to the brim with other wounded soldiers. Once his injuries became stable enough, he would’ve moved to a convalescent home to further recover[15]. Afterwards, he sailed back to Adelaide on the hospital ship “Euripides”, embarking around the start of June 1916 and landing on the 31/7. It is possible that Harry was having issues with his wounds healing, what was actually wrong is unknown, it is likely that his lower left leg was amputated just before coming home or in the Red Cross Hospital in Henley Beach, this can explain his extended stay in England. He also lost the second and third toes on his right foot. After Harry’s amputation, he was cared for in the Hospital where he met his future second wife, Rosalie Clara Bartsch who worked as a nursing sister[16].

Harry applied for discharge from his position as Sergeant of the 16th Infantry Battalion in the Keswick Barracks which was granted on the 24th of May 1917 (fig 19, see appendix), his service totalling at 2 years 183 days and 1 year 161 days abroad. However, that was not the end of his service. The day after his discharge was granted, he applied for home service for the A.I.F and was part of the SOI&RS (Staff Officer Invalided and Returned Soldiers) Department. He served for the SOI&RS for 4 years, being discharged on the same day as he enlisted (fig 8, previous page). He was Sergeant in Charge of the Red Cross Hospital in Henley Beach during this time, working with Rosalie[17], further demonstrating the ANZAC spirit.

When Harry was able to leave the hospital, plans were that he was going to live with Eunice again. Those plans were short lived though as Harry discovered she had been unfaithful during his service abroad. He had come home to Eunice pregnant as a result of the affair. Eunice and Harry later filed for divorce. Over time, Harry and Rosalie fell in love and a few months later they were living together in Lockleys, Adelaide. They lived there for the next few years and married on the 1st of January 1918[18]. Before Rosalie knew Harry, she already had a daughter named Freda Gretchen Bartsch who Harry accepted as his stepdaughter, she would have been around 6 at the time of their marriage. After marriage, they went on to have 2 more children together, first having Paul William (born 5/5/1920 in Lockleys) (my Great Grandfather).

In 1924, Harry and his family moved to the railway siding in Bayah, south of Loxton, between Caliph and Wunkar. Harry and Rosalie took on running the Bayah general store, Post Office, and the wheat agency[19] (figure 9). Then their 3rd child Betty Laura (Scarfe) was born on the 7/9/27 in the Loxton hospital[20]. At some point, Harry and Rosalie moved to Loxton and he became a secretary[21]. On the 12th of June 1940[22], Harry enrolled with the AIF again! He worked in the Central Recruiting Department as a Staff Sergeant at the Loveday internment camp[23], the largest internment camp in Australia. Harry was part of a work force of around 1,500 other military personnel[24]. Over time, he worked his way up in the hierarchy and by the end of his service had been promoted to Warrant Officer, class 2[25].

After the end of WW2 and his discharge on the 31st of August 1945[26], Harry and Rosalie lived the rest of their lives in Loxton. Harry lived a short life, passing on the 10th of January 1956, aged just 67 years due to natural causes. Rosalie passed on the 8th of March 1974, aged 80 after a long battle with dementia. They are buried together in the Loxton Cemetery

[1] National Archives of Australia: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=1971671&isAv=N
[2] Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/L1JG-LQC
[3] Betty Scarfe’s (Harry’s daughter) personal profile (see appendix)
[4] Ibid., 3
[5] Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/355317:60522?tid=198981570&pid=142603068275&queryId=03f626ee-8fd7-4fa4-9909-2154d224bd6f&_phsrc=zbS9&_phstart=successSource (see appendix)
[6] Ibid., 5
[7] Australian War Memorial: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067402/large/5369793.JPG
[8] Australian War Memorial: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51456#:~:text=The%2016th%20Battalion%20AIF%20was,commanded%20by%20Colonel%20John%20Monash
[9] ANZAC portal: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force
[10] National Museum Australia: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/gallipoli-landing
[11] Weather zone: https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/from-scorching-heat-to-snow-the-extreme-weather-of-gallipoli/533981
[12] Imperial War Museums: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-photos-of-life-in-the-trenches
[13] ANZAC portal: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/daily-life
[14] Ibid., 1
[15] Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/discover-and-understand/military/first-world-war-home-front/land/hospitals-convalescent-homes/
[16] Paul William’s obituary (see appendix)
[17] Ibid., 16
[18] Ibid., 2
[19] Ibid., 16
[20] Ibid., 3
[21] National Archives of Australia: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6354141&isAv=N
[22] Ibid., 21
[23] Ibid., 21
[24] Loveday Internment Camp: https://lovedayinternmentcamp.au/
[25] Ibid., 21
[26] Ibid., 21

Bibliography

Primary sources

National Archives of Australia Item Details (no date) RecordSearch: An overview. Available at: https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/getting-started/recordsearch-overview (Accessed: 29 October 2023).

(No date a) 5369793.JPG (2048×1455). Available at: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067402/large/5369793.JPG (Accessed: 02 May 2024).

(No date) Join ancestry®. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/355317:60522?tid=198981570&pid=142603068275&queryId=03f626ee-8fd7-4fa4-9909-2154d224bd6f&_phsrc=zbS9&_phstart=successSource (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

(Ancestry was used solely for image of Merchant Navy record)

Session expired: RecordSearch: National Archives of Australia (no date) RecordSearch. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6354141&isAv=N (Accessed: 01 August 2024).

Certificate of discharge, Adelaide – obtained from King family archives

Certificate of discharge, Perth – obtained from King family archives

Certificate of discharge, Adelaide (SOI&RS) – obtained from King family archives

King family tree – obtained from King family archives

Letter (fig. 3) – obtained from King family archives

Certificate of proficiency – obtained from King family archives

Discharge certificate – obtained from King family archives

Secondary sources

Rofe, B. (2000) Bayah: Before and beyond. Henley Beach, S. Aust., South Australia: Seaview Press.

Harry William King (no date) Virtual War Memorial | Harry William KING. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/350556 (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

16th Australian Infantry Battalion (no date) Australian War Memorial. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51456#:~:text=The%2016th%20Battalion%20AIF%20was,commanded%20by%20Colonel%20John%20Monash. (Accessed: 03 November 2023).

(No date) FamilySearch.org. Available at: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/L1JG-LQC (Accessed: 13 June 2024).

(No date a) FamilySearch.org. Available at: https://www.familysearch.org/search/linker?pal=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXSN5-KRY&id=L1JG-LQC (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

corporateName=Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City, ACT 2601; contact=+61 2 6289 1133; [email protected] (2023) Landing at Anzac Cove 25 April 1915, Anzac Portal. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/landing-anzac-cove (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

corporateName=National Museum of Australia; address=Lawson Crescent, A.P. (2023) Gallipoli landing, National Museum of Australia. Available at: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/gallipoli-landing (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

News (no date) From scorching heat to snow: the extreme weather of Gallipoli. Available at: https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/from-scorching-heat-to-snow-the-extreme-weather-of-gallipoli/533981 (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

corporateName=Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City, ACT 2601; contact=+61 2 6289 1133; [email protected] (2022) Daily life at Anzac from May to August 1915, Anzac Portal. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/daily-life (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

corporateName=Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City, ACT 2601; contact=+61 2 6289 1133; [email protected] (2024) Timeline of Australians and the gallipoli campaign, Anzac Portal. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/timeline#:~:text=landing%20at%20Gallipoli-,25%20April%201915,Gallipoli%20around%20Ari%20Burnu%20point. (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

corporateName=Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City, ACT 2601; contact=+61 2 6289 1133; [email protected] (2024a) First Australian Imperial Force in World War I, Anzac Portal. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-imperial-force (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

10 photos of life in the Trenches (no date) Imperial War Museums. Available at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-photos-of-life-in-the-trenches (Accessed: 28 July 2024).

Acknowledgement of traditional custodians (no date) Views | Australian War Memorial. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/glossary (Accessed: 29 July 2024).

Hospitals and convalescent homes (no date) Historic England. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/discover-and-understand/military/first-world-war-home-front/land/hospitals-convalescent-homes/ (Accessed: 01 August 2024).

Loveday internment camp (2024) Loveday Internment Camp. Available at: https://lovedayinternmentcamp.au/ (Accessed: 02 August 2024).

Interviews

Interview with Veronica King (not recorded) – 28/07/24

Obituaries

Paul William King obituary, written by Robert King (Paul’s son) 2006

Personal profiles

Profile written by Betty Scarfe for Loxton Ladies Probus Club, about 1990

Images

Casualty form from NAA- https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1971671

Record of Harry’s movement while working for the British Merchant Navy from Ancestry - https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/355317:60522?tid=198981570&pid=142603068275&queryId=03f626ee-8fd7-4fa4-9909-2154d224bd6f&_phsrc=zbS9&_phstart=successSource