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Son of George Mashman, 'Rockleigh', William Street, Rockdale, Sydney, New South Wales

Biography - PTE Harold William Mashman - 15459

Harold William Mashman was born on the 19th of March 1896, in the Lower North Shore suburb of Willoughby, NSW, to his father, George “Rockleigh” Mashman and his mother, Mary Jane (Dibley) Mashman.(1) He resided in the suburb of Rockdale, NSW and was the youngest of four siblings, along with twin brother Leslie James Mashman.(2) The rest of his siblings included his oldest sister Lilian Mary Mashman and older brother George Barnier Mashman. (3) Harold also had a younger sister, Evelyn Frances Mashman, who was born in 1898, but unfortunately passed away in 1899, at 8 months of age.(4) Mashman’s father, George “Rockleigh” Mashman served as a minister in many different churches across Sydney, having served at St Philip's, Auburn; St Mary's, Wentworthville; St Bartholomew's and over 20 years at All Saints, Cammeray. He was also appointed to St Peter and Paul's Church, Milton in 1904. (5)

Harold William Mashman attended Sydney Technical High School at around 15 years of age in 1911, along with his twin brother, Leslie.(6)  Prior to enlisting into the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), he served 3 years in the Cadets as well as serving 2 years in the Citizen Military Forces and had an occupation as a bank clerk.(7) Mashman enlisted in the AIF on the 3rd of October, 1917 at 21 years of age.(8) Mashman left Sydney on the 19th of December, 1917, aboard the HMAT A38 “Ulysses” to Southampton, England, as a part of the 18th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement, leaving behind his mother, father and siblings.(9) Mashman’s elder brother, George Bariner Mashman also participated in WWI, as a part of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade and enlisted 2 years prior in 1915.(10) 

Mashman disembarked the HMAT A38 “Ulysses” on the 16th of January 1918 at Suez, Egypt to rest camp, before embarking again, just 6 days later to Camp Gabbari in Alexandria, Egypt.(11)  After training, he re-embarked on the 29th of January, 1918 and on the 16th of February, 1918, Mashman arrived at Southampton, England.(12)

  Mashman travelled to France on the 23rd of August, 1918, as relief for the 45th Battalion and was involved in the last major action of war that the 45th Battalion of Australia fought before being disbanded, with that being having participated in aiding in the capture of the part of the Hindenburg outpost line near the village of Le Verguier, a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.(15) On the 18th of September, 1918, at 5:20 am, the 45th Battalion, along with other troops from the 1st Infantry Division and supporting huge artillery barrages stormed the village and successfully broke through German defences and captured the Hindenburg outpost near Le Verguier, taking 4,300 German prisoners in the process.(16) 

Unfortunately, Mashman contracted pneumonia shortly after his service and was admitted to Paddington Military Hospital in London on the 13th of March, 1919.(17) He went on to make a full recovery and on the 31st of December, 1919, Mashman was promoted to Extra Regimental Corporal, before beginning his return journey to Australia on the 5th of January, 1920, embarking on the H.T “Cap. Verde” from London.(18) He arrived in Sydney on the 29th of February, 1920 and was discharged from the AIF a month later, on the 30th of March.(19) 

After the conclusion of WWI, Mashman returned to his occupation as a bank clerk and moved to the Northern Suburbs shown by the 1935 electoral roles. (21) Six years after his return to Australia, on the 13th of March, 1926, he married Marjorie Alice Newmarch in North Sydney, unfortunately however, they divorced in August of 1935, due to “reason of non-compliance with restitution decree.” (22) 2 months after his divorce with Marjorie, Mashman then married his second wife, Hazel Lindley Major Ashe on the 19th of October 1935. (23) Together, they had two children, with the first being Elizabeth, born on the 17th of July, 1944, 9 years after their initial marriage and John, whose birthdate is unknown. (24)

Harold William Mashman passed away due to natural causes on the 14th of June 1974, at 78 years of age in his home in Lane Cove, NSW. (25) He was buried at the North Shore Crematorium.(26)

 

Lest We Forget,

Oscar Lin, Sydney Technical High School, 2024 

 

Footnotes

(1) NSW Birth Registration 17912/1896

(2) Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922

(3) Ibid

(4) Anonymous, Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 5 January 1899 page 8 column 1

(5) Anonymous,Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, (Parramatta, NSW : 1888 - 1950), Saturday 13 August 1904 page 4 column 7 

(6) K. Stevenson, THS 1911 Division IV First Year Term 3, 2021 

(7) K. Stevenson, PTE Harold William MASHMAN 15459, 2021

(8) Ibid

(9)  NAA: B2455, MASHMAN HAROLD WILLIAM, National Archives of Australia, August 2004.

(10) K. Stevenson, PTE Harold William MASHMAN 15459, 2021

(11) NAA: B2455, MASHMAN HAROLD WILLIAM, Page 15, National Archives of Australia, August 2004. 

(12) Ibid

(13) 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Virtual War Memorial Australia

(14) 45th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian War Memorial 

(15) 45th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian War Memorial 

(16) The Hindenburg Line: Breaking the Hindenburg Line, Australian War Memorial

(17) NAA: B2455, MASHMAN HAROLD WILLIAM, Page 19, National Archives of Australia, August 2004. 

(18) NAA: B2455, MASHMAN HAROLD WILLIAM, Page 21, National Archives of Australia, August 2004. 

(19) Ibid

(20)  Ibid

(21) Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

(22)  In Divorce, The Sydney Morning Herald Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Saturday 01 March 1930

(23) 1935, NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages 18845/1935

(24) Funerals, The Sydney Morning Herald Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · Tuesday 18 June 1974. 

(25) Ibid

(26) Ibid

 

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/188403061:1207?ssrc=pt&tid=108911226&pid=222018317744

 NAA: B2455, MASHMAN HAROLD WILLIAM, National Archives of Australia, August 200, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8215395

 Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, (Parramatta, NSW : 1888 - 1950), Saturday 13 August 1904 page 4 column 7, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/85907718?searchTerm=Harold%20William%20Mashman

Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950; Lehi, UT; Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?7 

 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/250

Funerals, Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 5 January 1899 page 8 column 1, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14194085?searchTerm=George%20Mashman#

45th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian War Memorial, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51485

Funerals, The Sydney Morning Herald Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · Tuesday 18 June 1974, https://www.newspapers.com/image/120415996/?match=1&terms=Harold%20William%20Mashman

In Divorce, The Sydney Morning Herald Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Saturday 01 March 1930, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16629870?searchTerm=Harold%20William%20Mashman

Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive, 2021, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19R_hlr6P7PbzpRtxNmG6hHlL_Th9o2dj

NSW Birth Index, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?7  

The Hindenburg Line: Breaking the Hindenburg Line, Australian War Memorial, https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/1918/battles/hindenburg