Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

By RH Milsom

William John Ernest Harper was born on August 21, 1881, in Woodend, Victoria, Australia, the eighth child of Alfred and Mary Harper. The Harper family were prominent early settlers in the Woodend district, establishing themselves at "Snugborough Park," a substantial property located approximately five miles west of Woodend on the Tylden Road. The family engaged in mixed farming, breeding sheep and cattle, with a particular interest in horse breeding.

William received his education at the Woodend State School. After finishing school, he worked on farms throughout the district, developing a keen interest in competitive cycling. In the late 1890s, William and his older brother Harold capitalised on the growing cycling craze by establishing Woodend's first bicycle shop.

Boer War Service (1899-1902)

Enlistment and Deployment

When the Second Boer War broke out in October 1899, William was eighteen years old. In May 1901, just a few months shy of his twentieth birthday, he joined the 3rd New South Wales Bushmen's Contingent. This unit was formed at Klerksdorp, South Africa, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Carrington and was raised around reinforcements meant for the Citizen and Imperial Bushmen contingents. 

Letters from the Front

One of the most vivid accounts of Harper's Boer War experience comes from his own words, preserved in letters published in The Woodend Star. In May 1901, shortly after his arrival in South Africa, Private Harper wrote home describing his journey from Cape Town to Durban aboard the transport ship "Rainee:"

"Our spare time on board, which was limited, was put in at playing rope quoits, treacley bun competitions, bobbing the apple and a game called 'flogging the turkey', which is played by two men on a round pole, on pillars, who butt each other off - like the Irish pastime of 'pocking heads' on a greasy pole - a game appreciated most by the spectators. One tug-of-war we had on board lasted for an hour and twenty minutes." 

His early assessment of the war's status showed both optimism and cynicism, typical of Australian soldiers:

"They say out here they are surrendering at the rate of 100 per week, which makes you wonder where they keep coming from. We are supposed to be within a few miles of where De Wet and his brother are hanging around, and have heard a report that 1200 Boers surrendered in a bunch, but I suppose that means more like 12. It is only a matter of time before they all give in, as the British have all the railways guarded with forts, supplied with search lights and connected by telephones... Some of the forts have a pair of Cape cart wheels and a piece of water pipe on view as a 'bluff for a cannon, but if they were attacked would be able to get much more destructive artillery on the scene within the hour."

Combat Experience

By late August 1901, Harper's experience had shifted dramatically from an observer to an active combatant. In a letter dated August 18, 1901, published in the Woodend Star on September 28, he wrote:

"I have been in some very hot corners lately. I had two horses shot under me — one in the leg and the other in the shoulder. Our Captain was shot in the knee - he was a grand officer to be under - and Captain Hasley, who was then appointed, got wounded, but not seriously, the first time he was out."

Records indicate that a detachment of 40 men consisting of Australian Bushmen and Hussars, while pursuing a small Boer force, were led into an ambush. Finding themselves surrounded by a commando of approximately 300 Boers in the Klerksdorp area, they fought their way out at close quarters in a daring charge through enemy lines.

Major Campaigns and Operations

Harper participated in several significant operations, including the response to Colonel Kennige's column being attacked on September 30, 1901, where British casualties numbered 131. In a letter dated December 31, 1901, from Ermelo, South Africa, he wrote:

"On the 30th of September, when Colonel Kennige's column was attacked, and the British casualties numbered 131, we were ordered on a night march to his relief and arrived at day-break. The sight we met was a terrible one. Sixty-seven wounded died while we were there. He lost 409 horses and mules besides."

Harper also participated in operations with General Bruce Hamilton's combined column near Bethel:

"Night marches with day-break surprises were our portion of the work, and we were very successful a couple of times, capturing 130 prisoners, 35 waggons and a lot of cattle on one occasion, and on another, a fifteen pounder, more prisoners, and a few Cape carts. The combined column has taken over 400 prisoners within the last month, and has been the most successful one operating lately."

In March 1902, Harper participated in the drive against the famous Boer general Christiaan de Wet, describing it as "the worst any of the troops have been in" due to the hilly terrain.

Return and Medical Issues

The 3rd NSW Bushmen's Contingent served in South Africa until May 1902, coinciding with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging on May 31, 1902, which ended the war. Harper returned to Australia in August aboard the "Aurania."

Upon arriving in Sydney, Harper was hospitalised with pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the lungs. A report in the Woodend Star on June 21, 1902, noted that he has recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital, but has to remain in Sydney on full pay, until July 8th, when he will get his discharge."

For his service in the Boer War, Harper was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal and the King's South Africa Medal, recognizing his participation in the conflict spanning the reigns of both Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.

Between the Wars (1902-1914)

Following his discharge from Boer War service, Harper returned to civilian life in Australia. In 1908, he enlisted in the Queenscliff Garrison as a member of the Royal Australian Artillery for approximately sixteen months.

On December 11, 1911, he married Dorothea Elizabeth Schmidt, a young woman he had met while stationed at Queenscliff.They were married at Collingwood and established their home in nearby Fitzroy. Their marriage produced two sons: William (later known as Bill) and Howard (later known as Jack), both born while the family resided in Fitzroy between 1912 and 1914.

World War I Service (1914-1918)

Enlistment and Training

On May 17, 1914, just months before the outbreak of World War I, William Harper enlisted in the 1st Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) at South Melbourne. Harper was assigned as Private No. 54 with the 5th Battalion, part of the 2nd Brigade in the 1st Division of the A.I.F. The 5th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Together with the 6th, 7th, and 8th Battalions, all recruited from Victoria, it formed the 2nd Brigade.

The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on December 2, 1914.

Gallipoli Campaign

In April 1915, Private Harper embarked from Egypt with the 5th Battalion to participate in the Gallipoli campaign. The 5th Battalion landed at Anzac Cove on April 25, 1915, as part of the second wave of the ANZAC landing. 

The landing was chaotic, with the first troops coming ashore about a mile north of their intended position. As the 5th Battalion began landing from around 0530 hours, they came under fire from Turkish troops at the south end of Anzac Cove. Private Harper served as part of A Company. The battalion's companies headed independently through the scrub up the Razorback spur toward the 400 Plateau.

During these initial days, the 5th Battalion's A, B, and C Companies advanced toward what would later be known as Lone Pine. They encountered heavy Turkish resistance, with many being wounded or killed. The battalion suffered significant casualties as they attempted to establish positions on the plateau.

Just five days after the landing, on April 30, 1915, Private Harper was wounded in action at the Dardanelles, sustaining a jaw wound from enemy fire. Family accounts describe him being "being hit through the chin while looking up and going up the cliffs," which aligns with his military records, likely being injured by shrapnel, and the nature of the terrain at Gallipoli. He was evacuated and admitted to a hospital in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo, where he received treatment until July.

Upon recovery, Harper returned to Gallipoli and rejoined his unit during what had become a stalemate of trench warfare. In August 1915, Harper was promoted to Lance Corporal at Lemnos, one of the Greek islands used as a staging area and rest location for Allied forces.

When he returned to the Anzacs at Gallipoli, Lance Corporal Harper was initially attached to the Trench Mortar Battalion. In September, however, he was transferred back to the 5th Battalion, and remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation of Allied forces in December 1915.

Egypt and Injury

Lance Corporal Harper returned to Alexandria in January 1916 after the Gallipoli campaign closed.[Within weeks, he was sent for field duty at Tel-el-Kebir.

On January 26, 1916 on Lemnos training, Harper was admitted to hospital with an injured right knee, diagnosed as a displaced semilunar cartilage (meniscus). After his recivery, Lance Corporal Harper was sent to the Divisional Base at Mustapha in March 1916 and placed on guard duty until April.

Service with the Provost Corps

In April 1916, Harper was transferred to the Anzac Provost Corps and appointed Temporary Corporal. This transfer came shortly after the formation of the Corps, which was officially established in Egypt around March 1916, under the command of Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Williams.

According to official Australian War Memorial records, the policy for the Anzac Provost Corps was "to gradually eliminate all members of the Force who had not seen service in the face of the enemy, and at the present date the Corps is composed of Officers and Men, who have seen service in France or Gallipoli, or both, and many of whom are wearing wounded stripes and various decorations for gallantry in the Field." Harper's prior combat experience at Gallipoli, where he had been wounded, made him an appropriate candidate for service in this unit.

In October 1916, Harper returned to England and was attached to the Australian Provost Corps at Tidworth, and later at Weymouth. This timing aligns with historical records showing that "the main body of the ANZAC Provost Corps, 30 Officers and 690 other ranks, departed for service in England and France on 3 August 1916 leaving behind what was to be the Egyptian Section of the Corps."

While at Tidworth, Hampshire, Harper would have been part of the UK headquarters of the Corps. In February 1917, the name had changed from "ANZAC Provost Corps" to "Australian Provost Corps".

Service in France and Gas Exposure

As a member of the Provost Corps, Harper's duties would have included maintaining discipline among troops, controlling traffic at crossroads near the front, escorting prisoners of war from the front lines, and manning control posts in various sectors.

According to his son Bill's account, Lance Corporal Harper served in France during 1917, where he was badly gassed. While the specific circumstances of this gassing incident are not recorded in Harper's personal records, historical accounts note that "Members of the APC were often called upon to perform duties in forward areas, where quite a number were killed or wounded in action."

Following his gas exposure, Harper was evacuated to England, where he continued his service with the Australian Provost Corps until his return to Australia.The effects of this gas exposure would manifest in progressive respiratory problems that would affect him for the remainder of his life.

Return to Australia and Discharge

In June 1918, Harper returned to Australia aboard the "Barambah." This early repatriation, several months before the war's end in November 1918, was primarily due to his medical condition resulting from both his knee injury and the effects of gas exposure. Corporal Harper was formally discharged from the A.I.F. on December 17, 1918, with his displaced cartilage cited as the reason.

For his World War I service, Harper was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Civilian Employment and Family Life

The transition to civilian life presented numerous challenges for William Harper, as it did for many returning servicemen. Although he received a small pension from the army, the amount was insufficient to support his family, necessitating employment wherever he could find it.

During the 1920s, Harper relocated his family to Sydney, finding employment as a foreman mechanic with Yellow Cab Taxis. Later in the decade, showing continued entrepreneurial spirit, Harper went into business with a friend and purchased a taxi.

In the early 1930s, the family returned to Melbourne and Harper returned to his earlier trade and passion and opened a bicycle shop in Malvern, located on the corner of Malvern and Tooronga Roads. This business represented a full-circle return to his pre-Boer War days when he and his brother had operated Woodend's first bicycle shop. The Malvern shop became a family enterprise, with his son Howard working alongside him and eventually taking over the business after William's death.

Character and Contribution

Throughout his letters and the records of his service, William John Ernest Harper emerges as a man of resilience, adaptability, and quiet courage. His military service spanned two defining conflicts in Australia's development as a nation. In the Boer War, he was part of the last military contingents sent from the separate Australian colonies before Federation and among the first to represent the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia. In World War I, he was part of the generation that created the Anzac legend, participating in the Gallipoli campaign from April 25th 1915 which has come to symbolise Australia's national character and military tradition.

Harper's legacy lives on through several memorials:

*The Woodend Shire Honour Roll
*The Avenue of Honour (Tree No. 82) at the West Memorial Clock Tower in Woodend
*The Woodend State School Honour Roll

Bibliography: William John Ernest Harper (1881-1952)
Books and Published Works
Boxshall, Sylvia. 2013, Our men at war: letters and stories of the men from the Newham and Woodend district who fought in the Boer War. The Woodend & District Heritage Society Inc., Woodend, Victoria.

Boxshall, Sylvia & Woodend & District Heritage Society. 2011, They went to war: stories of the men and women of the Woodend and Newham district who served in WW1. Woodend & District Heritage Society, Woodend, Victoria.

Harper, William (Bill) Leibhardt Schmidt BEM. 1999, The History of the Harper Family. Self-published, Canberra.
Primary Sources

National Archives of Australia (NAA)
Service Record: William John Ernest Harper, NAA: B2455, HARPER W J E. Service Number - 54

Australian War Memorial (AWM)
Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War, AWM4 1/67/3, "A Staff, Headquarters AIF Depots in UK, March 1916 - December 1917."

History/Summary of the Anzac Provost Corps, AWM Collection C310453.

5th Battalion unit history and operational records, AWM4 23/22/1-39.

Published Materials
The Woodend Star, June 1901. Letter from Private Harper describing journey from Cape Town to Durban aboard transport ship "Rainee."

The Woodend Star, September 28, 1901. Letter from Private Harper dated August 18, 1901, describing combat experiences in South Africa.

The Woodend Star, February 15, 1902. Letter from Trooper Harper dated December 31, 1901, from Ermelo, South Africa.

The Woodend Star, June 21, 1902. Report on Harper's hospitalization with pleurisy upon return to Australia.
Secondary Sources

"The Complete History of the 5th Battalions." 5RAR Association, https://5rar.asn.au/complete-history-of-the-5th-battalions/

"The Formation of the 5th Battalion and Its Experience at Gallipoli 1914-1915," battalion operations document.
"RACMP History Document," supplied by Geoff Barr, RACMP Historian, containing information about the formation, organization, and operations of the Anzac Provost Corps.