RANDALL, Howard James
| Service Number: | 1558 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 July 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kingston, South Australia, Australia, 11 January 1891 |
| Home Town: | Kingston South East, Kingston, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Kingston Public School, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Engine Cleaner |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Plot IV. Row D. Grave 10. Inscription: LOVED BROTHER OF ADAMAY ADELAIDE PERCY ROY IDA RUBY MELLIE JESSIE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kingscote Kangaroo Island WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1558, Depot Battalion , Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Dec 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Disembarked Suez, Egypt | |
| 24 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, T.O.S -- B Company -- Ismailia | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Embarked Alexandria for B.E.F per H.M.T. "Transylvania" | |
| 23 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Disembarked Marseilles, France | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1558, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), KIlled In Action |
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Son of Mr Samuel Randall of Kingston SE. He was of a large family; his siblings are listed on his headstone as Adamay, Adelaide, Percy, Roy, Ida, Ruby, Nellie and Jessie.
He served 6 months in the 22nd Light Horse at Kingston prior to enlistment at Keswick Barracks and upon enlistment was assigned to the 1st Reinforcements 32nd Battalion
He and his colleagues joined the unit at Isamailia in Egypt and then they embarked on the HMT Transylvania in ALexandria on the 17 June 1916. They disembarked in Marseilles on the 23rd 1916 June before heading north by train to the Fleurbaix sector with the rest of the 5th DIvision.
He was fated to be part of the ill-starred attack on 19/20 July at Fromelles. He was initially recorded as "Missing in Action". Information was received by his brother Roy from a Private Poole that Howard was in hospital but this proved to be inaccurate. On the 13th March 1917 his ID disc was returned from Germany and he was duly recorded as Killed in Action although he had no known grave. A subsequent witness report from a fellow 32nd Battalion soldier, Private S Train, POW in Germany, reports that he was "killed on the German parapet, being shot in the back".
Ms Eliza Randall of Grey Farm, Reedy Creek, via Kingston SE - presumably his mother.
His family received his Commemoration plaque (no 315010) and King's scroll in August 1922. 1914/15 Star No 25570, British War Medal 24996 and Victory Medal 24829 23 Sep 1921
His remains were among those discovered at Pheasant Wood in 2010 - *Pheasant Wood cemetery was opened in 2010 to house the remains of soldiers disinterred from the mass grave at Pheasant Wood in which were interred Allied soldiers killed in the attack at Fromelles who fell behind German lines.
(C) Steve Larkins May 2016
Click images to start slideshow.