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Australia

Harrold (Harald) Hermann was born on the 14th May 1910 at Moorook in the Riverland of South Australia to Pauline Ernestine and Johann Hermann (John Herman) Gogel. He was one of six children with siblings including Erich Otto, Oskar Norman, Helene Christine, Linda Dulcia and Stella Blandine. Inevitably, many of their names were anglicised with Harrold becoming Harold Herman and Oskar, Oscar or affectionately Ossie and Erich as Erik or Eric.
Aged just five and while their father, John visited Renmark, some of the Gogel children, Harold included, lit a heap of straw near the farm haystack which was composed of about 200 tons of hay. Fortunately, the quick-thinking neighbours prevented the stacks from being destroyed. No mention is made of what befell the children for their actions.
Just a year later, in April 1917, 47-year-old John Herman was diagnosed with typhoid fever and was taken from his home to the Loxton Hospital where he died. Harold was still six years old at the time. John was remembered as a strong Lutheran church attendee and highly respected in the local community. He was buried in the local Moorook Cemetery where in later years his wife Pauline would rest with him.
In the ensuing years Pauline and the children placed a remembrance notice in John’s memory. Advertiser Saturday 30 March 1918, GOGEL.-In loving memory of my dear husband and father, J. Hermann, who died March 31, Ï917, at Lorton Hospital. We miss thee from our home, dear father, We miss thee from thy place; A shadow o'er our life, is cast, We miss the sunshine of thy face. We miss your kind and willing hand. Your fond and earnest care; Our home is dark without thee, We miss you everywhere. Inserted by his loving wife and three sons and three daughters.
Advertiser Monday 31 March 1919, GOGEL.-In sad but caring memory of my dear husband, who died at Loxton Hospital, March 31|1917. Our hearts for you still aching. We are lonely night and day; We miss you In a thousand different ways. In our hearts your memory lingers Sweetly tender, fond, and true; And there's not a day dear loved one, That we do not think of you. Inserted by his loving wife, sons, and daughters.

Being a widow with six children, Pauline married again, becoming Mrs Glatz.
The children continued to grieve the loss of their father, placing several poignant memorials.
Advertiser Wednesday 31 March 1920, GOGEL.—In loving memory of my dear father, who passed away at Moorook March 31. no one knows the silent heartache, Only those can tell who have lost a loving father Without a last farewell —Inserted by his loving son. Erick. GOGEL.—In loving memory of our dear father, who passed away March 31, 1917. What would I give to clasp his hand. My loving father to see, Just to hear one loving word. Which means so much to us? —Inserted by his loving daughter and son-in-law, Helene and Will Webb. GOGEL.—In loving memory ot our dear father, who passed away March 3I. 1917. If your grave could only open. And your eyes could only see. How the family circle's broken, Since you left us father dear. —Inserted by his loving children Linda, Stella, Harrold, and Oskar.

Harold and his siblings attended the local Moorook School where he and Oscar were involved in a September ’22 concert aimed at raising funds for the school. Oscar starred in an amusing play called "Who killed Cock Robin", where he had the role of the deceased bird and dressed for the part. Special mention was made in the local Murray Pioneer of twelve-year-old Harold Gogel who was praised as a born "comic." The Gogel brothers were frequently involved in Dances and Balls with different themes, including a ‘fancy paper and cotton goods’ Ball held in the local hall in September ’26. Eric won the gentlemen’s prize dressed as mother rabbit, with Harold attending as a Harlequin.
In his later teen years, Harold was a popular musician, frequently called on to play for dances held in the Purnong Hall and other venues as well as giving several violin solos at these gatherings, including for the Claypans Cricket Club concerts. He also enjoyed attending dances, including for The Forster-on-Murray Football Club annual event, where he also acted in the role of Master of Ceremonies in ‘27.
Harold played both tennis and table tennis for Moorook, as did Eric. He also played football for Moorook in the Loxton Football competition, proving to be a consistent goal scorer and named in the best player lists, including during the team’s participation in the finals of ’36. His work as a farm labourer in the area probably contributed to his fitness.
With the outbreak of WWII, 30-year-old Harold enlisted on the 24th June 1940 and was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion as SX9376. His initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds where his ‘bed’ was straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. The new enlistees then headed to Woodside for preliminary training.
(Harold’s younger brother, Oscar who was living in the goldfield area of Broad Arrow enlisted two months later in Claremont, Western Australia as WX8227 with the 2/13th Field Ambulance, eventually rising to the rank of Sergeant.)
At the start of November, the local enlistees returned home on pre-embarkation leave before boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East in November, arriving on the 17th December. Harold’s 2/48th Battalion then completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before marching to Tobruk at the start of April 1941. There the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to the fresh new enlistees who were later to become the highly respected Rats of Tobruk. During those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals and local conditions. Harold experienced several health issues, including a very high fever, called Pyrexia of Unknown origin (PUO) which resulted in him being hospitalised.
In June ’41 Sergeant Wally Prior, SX7338 oversaw the 10 Platoon of B Company in their attack on Post S9. Initially he had taken over from the 2/1st Pioneers. He is recorded in John Glenn’s Tobruk to Tarakan as thinking “the place had been over-emphasized, but we soon changed our minds.”
Conditions continued to be tough. John Glenn records a further incident relayed by Sergeant Prior, where 10 Platoon attacked and eliminated a sniper’s post which “apparently upset the Germans, for they bombarded us with mortar and artillery in the heaviest artillery bombardment I have seen. The concrete of the pit became a shambles and we had no option but to withdraw to the underground room. The bombardment lasted for an hour and three-quarters, and the remaining posts were lifted out of the ground. The noise was terrific. Great pieces of cement and dirt filled the entrance to the bomb-proof shelter, blocking us in so that we were soon suffering from lack of air. Still the earth shook as shell after shell fell on the post and filled the air with dust and the smell of cordite. We dipped towels in the reserve water and in pitch darkness wrapped them round our faces and waited, for what seemed like hours, for the shelling to stop. By another strange coincidence one of the last shells to land on the remains of Post S9 freed the entrance and allowed the light and air to come in. Among those in the post with me were Johnnie Miller, Wally Davis, Harry Davis, Roy Weir and Harold Gogel.”
At this stage, Harold decided to name his brother, Oscar, serving with the 2/13th Field Ambulance as his next of kin, probably to spare his mother.

Harold had only just re-joined his battalion at the end of October ’42 when he received a gunshot wound to his right arm during action at the end of that month. At the time a massive assault was made to take Trig 29. Glenn described the conditions. ‘As the flies and the heat made more than a couple of hours’ rest impossible, the men lolled in their holes and prepared their weapons for battle. When they moved off at 7:30 in the fading light there was little talking. There was a bitter night ahead.’ He added ‘one shell made a direct hit on a truck, and a man was killed; then another struck and seven were wounded.’

Following treatment, Harold was finally able to re-join the 2/48th Battalion at the end of November in time to return to Australia via Melbourne and hence home for well-earned leave at the start of ‘43. Back home, the Moorook Sub-branch of the RSL held a social in honour of the returned men from the Middle East. Harold and the other soldiers, including Ronald Dadleff SX3532 and Alex Reid SX7179 from the 2/48th Battalion, were congratulated on the splendid way they had acquitted themselves. Regret was expressed that it was not their final "home coming" but all in attendance hoped it would not be long before the men all would be permanently back home. Gunner Frank Battams, S306772 responded on behalf of the soldiers.
Training in Queensland followed as the 2/48th Battalion prepared to face a very different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea. Harold arrived at Milne Bay in August ’43 and was soon appointed to Lance Corporal.
Just two months later, he was again wounded in action and extremely fortunate to survive. He had received a penetrating wound to his scalp and was immediately evacuated to hospital.
At the time dawn patrols were moving through thick bamboo, which meant that fighting was forced to be close combat without the use of mortars or artillery. A Japanese sniper in the trees killed two of the battalion. They were SX7410 Sgt Robert Ranford, a highly respected leader and soldier who had won the Distinguished Conduct Medal and was twice Mentioned in Despatches and SX18365 Private Walter Millard. During that time, enemy casualties were one hundred.
Glenn recounted that ‘Norm Puckridge had just moved to one side of our tanks on the rise when he stumbled on to a hole, out of which popped a head. Norm fired and missed, and the Jap hurled a grenade which wounded Harry Gogel. Norm then tossed a grenade into the hole, and the Jap came out and hot-footed it for the bamboos. The tank opened up and the Jap fell.’ In an interesting sidelight of this action was the capture of a Jap soldier’s diary. One entry read ‘We have found out the enemy is the finest Australian picked division (9th). They have fought against Germans and Italians. They are very good fighters.’
Back home, the December ‘43 issue of the Chronicle reported that from the 2/48th Battalion George Butler SX12499 and Ken Kelly SX10856 were killed with Stephen Galvin SX15180 from Saddleworth and Charles Lampre SX7567 from Mambray Creek were both also injured at a similar time to Harold.
By March the following year he had contracted malaria and was soon on the return voyage to Australia via Brisbane. His head injury and reallotment meant that Harold’s well-earned promotion was forfeited as he returned to the rank of Private. He was classified as ‘unfit for service outside of Australia’ and was evacuated to Hospital in South Australia.
With his brother, Sergeant Oscar home on leave in March, Harold followed in May. This preceded his discharge on the 23rd June ’45. By September three sets of brothers, each with five years’ service, were being welcomed at Moorook following their discharges. Besides the Gogel brothers were two other sets of brothers; Albert and Eddie Charlton, and Frank and Harry Battams. The Murray Pioneer summarised the locals’ feelings “These boys have done a grand job and are all glad to be back.”
The following year, Harold was honoured to act as best man for Oscar when he married Doris Seiboth in the local Lutheran Church at Moorook in October ’46.
Harold married Edna Mary Maconochie. In earlier years, Edna had been involved in the Junior Red Cross in Queensland. His mother, Pauline lived to see both her sons return home. Aged 78, she died suddenly on the 2nd August ’54 and was laid to rest with Johann in the Moorook Cemetery. Just three weeks later, Edna and Harold welcomed their precious daughter at the Glenelg Community Hospital, naming her Pauline Edna, honouring the two important women in Harold’s life.
Edna and Harold lived at Edwardstown where, having just celebrated his 62nd birthday, Harold died in June ’72. He is remembered at Centennial Park Cemetery in the General Section AE, Path 3 Grave 151 where his birth name of Harrold Hermann was used. 61-year-old Edna rests in the same plot. Harold’s brother, Oskar Norman who enlisted soon after Harold, died in August ’89 and also rests nearby, in the Derrick Gardens.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.