Harry EAREY

Regimental number2145
Place of birthBarking, Essex, England
SchoolOdessa Road, Board School, England
Age on arrival in Australia17
ReligionBaptist
OccupationLabourer
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 7"
Weight138 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs. M. Earey, 63 Chatsworth Road, Stratford, England
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date19 December 1914
Place of enlistmentEdenhope, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name5th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/22/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on 25 June 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll46th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 14 May 1918
Place of death or woundingVillers-Bretonneux, France
Age at death24
Age at death from cemetery records24
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsAustralian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
141
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Harry and Minnie EAREY, 49 Albert Square, Stratford, London, England
Family/military connectionsCousin: Richard Earey, died in hospital in Egypt (Malaria Fever).
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Taken on strength of 5th Bn, Anzac, 5 August 1915.

Wounded accidentally, 10 August 1915, and admitted to No 3 Australian Field Ambulance, Anzac, the same day (bullet wound, finger); transferred to Australian Casualty Clearing Station, Lemnos, 12 August 1915; to HS 'Guilford Castle', 13 August 1915; to HS 'Andarria', 15 August 1915; to No 5 London General Hospital, London, 30 August 1915; marched into Australian and New Zealand Base Depot, England, 4 January 1916.

Embarked Devonport, no date stated; disembarked Alexandria, Egypt, 5 March 1916.

Rejoined 5th Bn, Serapeum, 11 March 1916.

Marched out of 2nd Training Bn, Tel el Kebir, 31 March 1916, and taken on strength of 46th Bn, Serapeum, the same day.

Found guilty, 19 April 1916, of being absent from 0930 hours, 18 April 1916, until 0630 19 April 1916: awarded 10 days' confined to camp, and total forfeiture of 2 days' pay.

Found guilty, 20 May 1916, of being absent without leave from 1700 hours, 18 May 1916, until 0350 hours, 19 May 1916: award, forfeits 5 days' pay, and total forfeiture of 6 days' pay.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 2 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 8 June 1916.

Found guilty, 4 July 1916, of being absent from 1630 hours roll call: award, forfeits 3 days' pay.

Found guilty, 19 July 1916, of while on active service, (1) making an improper reply to a NCO; (2) hesitating to obey an order: awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Found guilty, 25 August 1916, of being absent without leave from 1230 hours, 23 August 1916, until 1800 hours, 24 August 1916: awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No 2, and total forfeiture of 9 days' pay.

Admitted to No 12 Australian Field Ambulance, 26 August 1916 (pyrexia of unknown origin); transferred to No 4 Casualty Clearing Station, 27 August 1916; to Ambulance Train, 27 August 1916; to No 18 General Hospital, Camiers, 28 August 1916; marched into 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 6 September 1916.

Found guilty, 16 September 1916, of being absent from 0600 hours: award, forfeits 1 day's pay.

Rejoined 46th Bn, 23 September 1916.

Found guilty, 28 September 1916, of insolence to a NCO: awarded 14 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Found guilty, 23 December 1916, of being absent from 0700 hours parade: award, forfeits 1 day's pay.

Found guilty, 22 December 1916, of being absent without leave from 0915 hours, 20 December 1916, until 1615 hours, 21 December 1916: award, forfeits 14 days' pay, and total forfeiture of 16 days' pay.

Admitted to No 12 Australian Field Ambulance, 2 March 1917; transferred to No 1/1 South Midland Casualty Clearing Station, 2 March 1917; to Ambulance Train, 3 March 1917; to No 6 General Hospital, Rouen, 4 March 1917 (old wound, hand); to England, 9 March 1917; to Birmingham War Hospital, 11 March 1917 (amputated finger); to No 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, 23 March 1917; discharged to furlough, 30 March 1917; marched into No 3 Command Depot, Hurdcott, 16 April 1917.

Found guilty, 17 April 1917, of being absent without leave from 1530 hours, 14 April 1917, until 1715 hours, 16 April 1917: awarded 7 days' confined to camp, and total forfeiture of 3 days' pay.

Classified 'B1A3', 18 April 1917.

Classified 'B1A4', 23 April 1917.

Marched out of No 3 Command Depot to Australian Details Camp, Perham Downs, 25 April 1917.

Transferred to, and taken on strength of 66th Bn, Windmill Hill, 28 April 1917.

Found guilty, 28 May 1917, of overstaying leave from 1200 hours, 4 May 1917, until 1430 hours, 5 May 1917: awarded 4 days' Field Punishment No 2, and total forfeiture of 6 days' pay.

Found guilty, 13 June 1917, of being absent without leave from 1400 hours, until 2200 hours, 11 June 1917: awarded 1 day's Field Punishment No 2, and total forfeiture of 3 days' pay.

Found guilty, 22 August 1917, 22 August 1917, of being absent from 0700 hours, 22 August 1917, until 1500 hours, 22 August 1917: award, admonished, and total forfeiture of 24 days' pay.

Marched out of 66th Bn, 19 September 1917, and transferred to 46th Bn on marching out; marched into Overseas Training Bde, Perham Downs, 29 September 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 14 October 1917; marched into 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Le Havre, 15 October 1917.

Proceeded to unit, 18 October 1917; taken on strength of 46th Bn, 19 October 1917.

Found guilty, 17 December 1917, of being absent without leave from 0930 hours parade: award, forfeits 1 day's pay.

Killed in action, 14 May 1918.

Crossed out note on B.103, 'buried isolated grave, 0.75 mile east-north-east of Villers-Bretonneux, 2.5 miles south-south-east of Corbie'.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, EAREY Harry