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Harold was the son of Thomas CONVARY & Henrietta SNELL and was born on the 9th of January 1895 in Tarpeena, SA.

Harold’s birth registration is recorded as Harold Edwin CONVARY.

His father was the son of Peter CONVARY & Annie FLEMING and was born on the 4th of January 1872 in Ballarat, VIC.
His mother was the daughter of Edwin Saunders SNELL & Henrietta TANNER and was born on the 4th of June 1866 in Moonta, SA.

Harold was the eldest child born into the family of 2 children.

Harold’s parents never married and he was raised by his mother at his grandfather’s home in Tarpeena.

Harold would have been very close to his grandfather as he was his only living grandparent, and without a father, Harold would have seen him as a father.

His grandfather, Edwin, was born in Poole, Cornwall, in 1836 and he left England with his grandparents in 1842 for Tasmania, as they had adopted him.
Three years later, in 1845, they left Tasmania for South Australia, and landed in Port Adelaide in August, 1845. They stayed in Adelaide until May of the following year, when the family removed to Kanmantoo. Edwin’s grandfather was a miner, and while in Tasmania acted as overseer over a gang of convicts in the Port Arthur coal mines.

In 1852, aged 16 years, Edwin left Kanmantoo with a party bound for the Victorian gold fields. He first tried his luck at Forest Creek and then at Bendigo and did fairly well.
When he left Bendigo for Melbourne he had £130 worth of gold.
After a short holiday in Melbourne he visited various parts of Victoria, finding work mostly on the stations. The gold fever again siezed him, and he returned to the diggings, but he only met with moderate success, and, he returned to station life. Again the lure of the gold fields called him, but on this occasion he did no good at all and left for Warracknabeal Station, where he worked for a few months.
From there he went to Portland and then on to Mount Gambier.
His first job in this district was with Mr. Andrew Watson of “Kilbride”, Nangwarry.

Then in 1858 Edwin returned again to Adelaide, where he remained until 1870, when he again went to Mount Gambier. While in Adelaide he married in 1860 and his wife, Henrietta, with their two children followed him to Moonta, where Harold’s mother was born, and then onto Mount Gambier.
At that time he was contracting and later he leased land at what is now known as Kromelite and they named their home “Rosaville”.

Sadly, Henrietta died on the 23rd of November 1877 in Kromelite and Edwin was left to raise 6 children, with the youngest being just 4 weeks old. Three years later he remarried to Mary Anne Frances MOYLE nee MERRIFIELD.

In 1891 Edwin took up land near Tarpeena and the family resided here, and this is where Harold was born.
In 1904 his mother purchased Section 89, Hundred of Mingbool (Tarpeena), containing 20 acres.

Harold and his sister attended the Tarpeena School and then Harold worked on his grandfather’s farm.

At the age of 19, Harold enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 13th of December 1914 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 810 and posted to the Base Light Horse. His mother consented to his enlistment as he was under age.

He was then transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Reinforcements and embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A26 Armadale on the 12th of February 1915.

He served in Gallipoli and Egypt and after more than 4 years overseas he embarked from Kantara on the 10th of July 1919 on board HT Oxfordshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of August.

Harold returned to his family in Tarpeena and was discharged from the AIF on the 10th of October 1919.

In 1922 his mother purchased Section 343, Hundred of Mingbool (Tarpeena), containing 27 acres.
His 2 younger aunties were also spinsters and Annie purchased Section 81 (20 acres), while Susan purchased Section 341 (35 acres).

Harold then laboured on all of these properties for his family.
In 1927 his mother transferred the land to Harold before she died on the 4th of December 1936.
Harold buried her in the Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mt Gambier; Section K, Plot 158.

Then when his aunties died, their land was also transferred to Harold.

With the outbreak of WW2, aged of 47, Harold enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on the 20th of April 1942 in Mt Gambier and was allotted the service number S75907.
Harold was discharged on the 26th of April 1944 as he was unable to attend parades.

He joined the Mt Gambier RSL Sub-Branch and remained on his land in Tarpeena.

Harold died in Myrtle Bank on the 27th of December 1971 and was cremated and his ashes interred on the 29th of January 1972 in the Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mt Gambier; Section K, Plot 157, with his aunt Susan, and next to his mother.

Harold never married and had no children.

Military

At the age of 19, Harold enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 13th of December 1914 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 810 and posted to the Base Light Horse.
He listed his mother, of Tarpeena, as his next of kin and she consented to his enlistment.

He was then transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Reinforcements and entrained to Broadmeadows Camp in Melbourne.

Harold embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A26 Armadale on the 12th of February 1915, disembarking in Alexandria on the 18th of March at 10am and marched into Mena Camp by nightfall.

On the 29th of April they relocated to the Heliopolis Racecourse Camp.
The light horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses.

Harold arrived on the Gallipoli Shores on the 5th of August 1915 and joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment, who were located at Walker’s Ridge.
They were fortunate to be the reserve regiment for the Brigade's disastrous attack on the Nek on the 7th of August.

On the 21st of August Harold was admitted into the 13th Casualty Clearing Station suffering from a septic hand.
He was evacuated to a hospital ship and transferred to Mudros before being transferred back to Egypt and admitted into the 1st Australian General Hospital in Heliopolis, 4 days later.
He was then transferred to the 1st Auxiliary Convalescent Depot at Luna Park and a few days later he was discharged to the Helounan Convalescent Camp on the 1st of September.

Harold spent 3 weeks here before being discharged to duty at Racecourse Camp, Heliopolis, on the 19th of September.
Then 8 days later he was admitted back into the 1st Australian General Hospital, suffering from severe Jaundice.
On the 5th of October he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Heliopolis and then 10 days later he was discharged to the Helounan Convalescent Camp.

Harold spent a further 5 weeks here before being discharged to base details in Zeitoun for light duties on the 21st of November.
He spent Christmas 1915 here before marching out to join the 9th Light Horse Regiment at Serapeum on the 27th of February 1916.

As part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade they became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division and, in March 1916, joined the forces defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish drive across the Sinai Desert.
The Turks were turned at Romani and although they didn't take part in the actual battle, the 9th Light Horse Regiment was involved in the advance that followed the Turks' retreat back across the desert.

By December 1916, this advance had reached the Palestine frontier and Harold and his Regiment were involved in the bayonet point fighting to secure the Turkish outposts of Maghdaba on the 23rd of December.
On Christmas Day 1916 they moved to Masaid and remained here until the 8th of January when they moved out to Rafa.
They were then involved in the Battle of Rafa the following day, which they captured under bayonet point. This was the third and final battle to complete the recapture of the Sinai Peninsula by British forces during the Sinai and Palestine campaign.

They then moved back to Masaid in February for rest and training and it was here on the 5th of March that Harold suffered from a fever and was admitted into the Light Horse Field Ambulance for 1 day and then transferred to the receiving station.
Harold was then admitted into the 54th Casualty Clearing Station as his fever had relapse, and was then transferred to the 24th Stationary Hospital in Kantara on the 16th of March.

Harold spent 3 days here and was then transferred to the 14th General Hospital in Cairo for 2 more weeks before being discharged to the Convalescent Depot in Abbassia on the 31st of March.
After another 2 weeks here he was discharged to Moascar and taken on strength with the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment.

On the 9th of May Harold rejoined his Regiment at Abasan-el-Kebir and they moved to El Fukhari 8 days later, and by the 21st of May they had moved to Marakeb.
All of June was spent in Shellal in defence and reconnaissance before they moved just west of Khirbet-el-Sufi in mid July.

They then moved to Marakeb and then by the end of August they had moved to Abasan, where they remained here in training until the 18th of September when they moved onto Um Urgan and remained in this area in training preparing for the attack on Beersheba.

They moved to Khalassa on the 30th of October and at 5:30pm they started their move towards Beersheba.
The following morning they were 2 miles east of Beersheba and marched across slightly undulating ground and small wadis and moved across the country in line of troop columns at a steady trott, jinking here and there to evade the shrapnel which was being fired at a fairly short range.
They reached a small gully at 3:30pm and the enemy then shelled the gully for the next 1.5 hours but failed to cause a fatality.

At 5pm they received orders to move and occupy the line 1040. When nearing the SABA redoubt an enemy plane bombed C Troop of C Company, killing 2 men and wounding 11 others. 19 horses were killed and 6 more were wounded and at this point they learnt that Beersheba had fallen.

On the 4th of November they moved from Beersheba to Karm on account of water shortage and the following day they moved to Ilimara.
With the fall of Gaza on the 7th of November 1917, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed.
On the 12th of November Harold became ill and was admitted into the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 66th Casualty Clearing Station at Moablaka.
He was discharged from hospital 11 days later and returned to his Regiment who were resting and reorganising at Mejdel.

Harold and his Regiment then pursued the Turks and by late November they were reinforcing the Yeomanry front line at Beitunia.
From this time onwards, for the next two months, they remained in continuous combat and Christmas 1917 was spent in torrential rain at Suffa.

They then moved to Deir el Belah in early January for refit and training and whilst they were here Harold suffered a broken nose on the 15th of March.
He was placing a nosebag on his horse when it suddenly threw its head up and struck Harold in the face.
He was admitted into the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance and then the 74th Casualty Clearing Station and after 4 days he was discharged back to his Regiment.

Early April 1918, they moved into the Jordan Valley and took part in the invasion of Moab and took Es Salt during the action of the 30th of April – 4th May.
Unfortunately, due to a Turkish attack on the lines of communication, this raid nearly turned into a disaster where the Turkish forces almost cut off the Australian Mounted Division in the hills.

It was a tactical failure but did help to convince the Turks that the next offensive would be launched across the Jordan.
Instead, the offensive was launched along the coast on the 19th of September 1918. The mounted forces penetrated deep into the Turkish rear areas severing roads, railways and communications links.
Harold and his Regiment took part in the capture of Jenin on the 20-21st of September and Sasa on the 29th of September.

They entered Damascus on the 1st of October, and were on the road to Homs when the Turks surrendered on the 31st of October.

By December they had moved to Tripoli and it was here that he spent his last Christmas away from his family and friends.
All of January and the majority of February 1919 was spent here where they continued physical training and held sports events.
On the 22nd of February they handed their horses over to the 5th Cavalry Division and marched to El-Mina pier where they embarked on a lighter and then transferred to HMT Ellinga.

This was one of the saddest actions occurred for Harold and the Light horsemen, as they had to farewell their best friends, the horses. All the Light Horse unit horses’ health was ascertained with the fit horses being transferred to the Indian Cavalry, while those in poor condition were destroyed by the Veterinary units.

After a calm voyage down the coast they arrive at Port Said and anchored near the Suez Canal for 2 hours before berthing at Sherifs Quay. They disembarked and march to Port Said railway station where they entrained for Kantara.
Then on the 24th they entrained to Rafa and then on the 3rd of March they moved to Moascar, but then 10 days later they were deployed to assist in suppressing the Egyptian Uprising.

Harold embarked from Kantara on the 10th of July 1919 on board HT Oxfordshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of August.

Harold was discharged from the AIF on the 10th of October 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.

WW2

At the age of 47, Harold enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on the 20th of April 1942 in Mt Gambier and was allotted the service number S75907.
He listed his sister Elsie, of Lameroo, as his next of kin.

Harold was discharged on the 26th of April 1944 as he was unable to attend parades.