Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harry Henry Absalom was born on March 15th, 1893, in North Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to Prospect, Adelaide, where he worked as a labourer. Religiously oriented to the Church of England, Absalom lived on Ellen Street, Prospect, where he was close with his friend and neighbour Mrs J.D. Campbell, whom he listed as his next of kin. Enlisting in Keswick, South Australia, on the 10th of July 1915 at the age of 21, Absalom was of average height, with fair skin, blue eyes, brown hair, and perfect vision. On the 10th of July, 1915, Private H.H. Absalom was cleared to fight in what would become the Great War.

Taken on strength from reinforcements in Gallipoli on the 4th of August 1915, Absalom served until the evacuation of the peninsula. Absalom and his comrades boarded the HMAT SS Seang Bee, which took them across the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, where they disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt, on the 29th of December, 1915. During his time in Alexandria, Absalom, along with the 3rd Brigade, joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). This meant that they were entirely under British senior command (Anzac Portal).

Arriving in Marseille, France, on the 3rd of April 1916, Absalom joined the fight on the Western Front. Captain Eric Wren of the 3rd Battalion stated that “The approach to the French coast was made in beautifully clear weather. A ferry boat passed close. There were many women among the passengers, and it was observed that everyone appeared to be in black. It gave a first impression of France, 'a nation in mourning” (Anzac Portal). Amongst tragedy, this new country came with new opportunities, as better food was available along with luxuries such as wine, eggs, and chips, heavily contrasting the harsh living conditions of Egypt.

Absolom was transferred to the 3rd Light Trench Mortar Battery, which provided crucial fire support to the 3rd Brigade 8th May 1916. Their primary weapon, the 3-inch Stokes Mortar, allowed them to deliver high-angle, high-explosive fragmentation bombs to enemy positions. Positioned close to the front lines, the battery was responsible for targeting enemy trenches, dugouts, and fortifications, disrupting enemy movements.

Five months later, Absalom was wounded in action in Belgium on the 3rd of October 1916 with a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh. He was moved by field ambulance to the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne The severity of this injury facilitated an immediate transfer to England aboard the Hospital Ship St. David and was admitted to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital. Here, he was treated by doctors that were properly equipped to handle injuries, the medical facility containing operating theatres, x-ray machines, and better-trained doctors, nurses, and surgeons (BBC).Absalom was admitted to the 5th General Hospital in Leicester, where he would meet Miss Katie Ridgeway, whom he would later marry. After his short stay in Leicester, he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford.

He was discharged to headquarters 11th December 1916 and then to the No 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 28th December 1916. On the 11th of January 1917, Absalom caught influenza and was admitted to the Brigade Hospital. Two days later, on the 13th, he was diagnosed with pneumonia, a serious infection of the lungs. It is likely that he was misdiagnosed with influenza as both illnesses can present with similar symptoms. Pneumonia, along with many other infections and viruses, was common amongst soldiers and was worsened by conditions. The lack of sleep, poor diet, inability to change clothes, deep mud, and many other unsanitary living factors made the risk of infection high (Pro Health Care, 2023). He returned to the No 1 Command Depot 26th March 1917. Absalom’s bad luck led him to be hospitalised again on April 2nd, but he was not diagnosed.

Recovered from his illnesses, Absalom marched out to the Bhurtpore Barracks in Tidworth on the 9th of May 1917. These barracks were the headquarters of AIF depots in England (Australian War Memorial N.D.). Attached to the School of Instruction No.1 in Bhurtpore, he was trained in advanced tactics, leadership, technical skills, and operational knowledge (National Archives UK). Following this training, Absalom marched to the nearby town of Warminster on the 17th of May 1918. Neglecting to obey AIF regulations, he was found at 12:45 am in the town without a pass. For this, he was confined to camp for seven days.

In preparation to return to the Western Front, Absalom went to the Australian Overseas Training Brigade, a camp designed to strengthen convalescent men before their return to combat (Following the Twenty-Second N.D.). Beginning his training on the 5th of June, it took Absalom only a few weeks before he was deemed ready to fight again, leaving for France via Southampton on the 28th of June 1918. After a three-day march into Rouelles, France, he was finally able to rejoin his unit in the field.

In December 1918, Absalom returned briefly to England whilst on leave, where he would marry Miss Katie Ridgeway. Ridgeway was a 30-year-old hosiery employer who resided in Leicester, England. They were wed on the 17th of December 1919 at St. Peter's Church in Leicester.

On the 7th of January 1919, Absalom returned to France happily married, but was only on the Western Front for a short time as he transferred from active duty in France to England. Marching out from France, Absalom arrived in Sutton Veny (S. Veny), where soldiers trained and utilised local amenities such as the YMCA and pubs. On the 1st of February, Absalom marched out to the 2nd Training Brigade in Codford, England. Returning to S. Veny, Absalom was admitted to the Group Battery Hospital with influenza. This was around the beginning of the influenza pandemic that would go on to kill over 50 million people. Absalom recovered from his influenza and was released from the hospital several weeks later, on the 18th of February, where he returned to the 1st Training Brigade for several months. 

Absalom awaited his return to Australia in England. He was granted indefinite leave on the 11th of August, 1919.

Returning to Australia in 1920 with his wife, Katie, the Absaloms relocated to the Lilley region of Brisbane. Their first child, Margaret Annie Absalom, was born on the 23rd of March 1922 (Queensland Government Births, Deaths and Marriages). No evidence of other children has been found. Living in their Queensland home, Absalom passed away on the 17th of January 1986 at the age of 92, buried alongside his wife in Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane.