OXENHAM, Harold Nelson
| Service Number: | 3886 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 September 1915, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Surat, Queensland, Australia, 1 June 1896 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Hughenden State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway Clerk |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, France, 14 November 1916, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Queensland Railways Chief Railway Auditors Branch Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 3886, 25th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' |
|
| 31 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3886, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Brisbane | |
| 14 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3886, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3886 awm_unit: 2 Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-11-14 |
His brothers memory
The following information on Harold Nelson Oxenham was from the writings of his brother V.W. Oxenham who served with his brother and is on the back of a large Studio Photograph of his Harold Nelson Oxenham dressed in his Army uniform.
On the morning of 14th November'16 attacked the German line
overlooking Flers Tank and Aeroplane trenches to the left of the
Butte de Warlincourt with 19th Battalion captured two lines of
trenches but owing to failure of the Northumberland Fusiliers to take
their objective (which was almost an impossibility in any case) our
objective had to be evacuated later. Had a number of casualties.
Platoon Officer Mccloskey had bad ankle wound and Harold and Vic
Gavegan got him back to our old front line trench where he was again
shot in the throat by a sniper but survived to return to Australia minus
a foot. Whilst Harold and Gavy were getting our old pal Harry Stumm
of Pittsworth back into the trench a sniper shot Harold through the
back which must have gone through his kidney and also hit Gavy
through the steel helmet but that did not do his head the slightest
damage although it ripped open his steel helmet. Harold died there
and Harry Stumm was taken as far as the Ribemont where he died in
the field Hospital. Owing to the wet conditions and terrible mud it was
very difficult to move oneself. Conditions were something
indescribable.
Submitted 19 November 2025 by David Oxenham
Biography
Sniped while carrying a wounded man to safety.
"News has been received of the death, while on active service, of another member of the staff of the Chief Railway Auditor - Mr. Harold N. Oxenham. The deceased was born on June 1, 1896, and at the time of his death was 20 years of age. He was educated at Hughenden, where his father, Mr. L. E. Oxenham, was for many years postmaster, and joined the staff of the Chief Railway Auditor in November, 1911. He remained in that office until going into camp (preparatory to leaving for the Front) on September 23 last year. The deceased, who was a brother of Mr. L. E. Oxenham, jun., of the Railway Commissioner's office, was a young man of exemplary character, and was held in high esteem by his fellow officers." - from the Brisbane Courier 02 Dec 1916 (nla.gov.au)
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