CLEARY, Harold Sydney
| Service Number: | 6852 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 June 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Redfern, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Kensington, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Memorials: | Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll, Ottoway Congregational Church Heroes of the Great War Honour Roll , Payneham Sydenham Road Methodist Church Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6852, 8th Field Ambulance | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 6852, 8th Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 10 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 6852, 8th Field Ambulance, HMAT Ascanius, Melbourne | |
| 1 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 5th Machine Gun Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Harold Sydney enlisted to join WW1 on the 8th of June 1915. He was exactly 18 years and 3 months old when joining the war. Harold Sydney was born in Redfern, Sydney, New South Wales the date of his birth is not yet discovered. Although he was born in New South Wales he moved down to South Australia where he stayed in Kent town for the rest of his years before war. He married Anges Jessie Morton on the 15th of October 1915 at a Victorian church. Pre-war he was a student. On the day Clearly enlisted, he took an oath where he agreed to honour his actions and to serve the King in the Australian Imperial Force from when the oath was signed until the end of the war.
Clearly embarked in Melbourne, Victoria on a ship called HMAT Ascanius A11 on the 10th of November in 1915. During 1915 and 1916 he served with the 8th Infantry Brigade, 8th Field Ambulance and 15th Field Ambulance. After serving for a year, he transferred to England where he completed a course with the officer cadet training battalion at Cambridge. Clearly then transferred to the 5th Machine Gun Battalion and he was given a new ranking of Lieutenant in September of 1918.
Clearly was reported “very ill” on the 17th of June in a letter. He was admitted into the hospital for a couple of days.
After the armistice he was transferred to the war records office in London. From June 12th to August 12th of 1919, he got to leave to experience a post-war career. He started working at Kenmore poultry farm, Charing, Kent. On the 28th of August that same year the Australian Imperial force allowed him to transport back to Australia. The letter sent to let him was returned without a reply. It is believed he had gone missing in England, he most likely died there.
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