William Richard HARMER

HARMER, William Richard

Service Number: 1359
Enlisted: 9 November 1914, Hopetown, Victoria
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery
Born: Joyce, South Australia, 12 June 1882
Home Town: Hopetoun, Yarriambiack, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Killed in Action, Pozieres, France, 1 September 1916, aged 34 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
No known Grave. His name is located at panel 20 in the Commemorative Area at the AWM Canberra, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ouyen War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)
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World War 1 Service

9 Nov 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Hopetown, Victoria
2 Feb 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1359, 5th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: ''
2 Feb 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1359, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Melbourne
1 Sep 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1359, 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1359 awm_unit: 12th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-09-01

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Biography

Born:   William Richard Victor HARMER  on 12 June 1882 at Joyce, South Australia (Now Hawthorn)
(SA Birth Record 1842 - 1906 Book: 284 Page: 238 District: Rob.)

Father Elias HARMER  (b.14 July 1837, Salthouse, Norfolk, England- d. 25 Mar 1906, Hopetoun, Victoria)  and
Mother Louisa Eunice Harmer (nee CHAMPION)  b. 6 Jun 1841, Lambourn, Berkshire England,, d 24 Aug 1908, Hopetoun, Victoria)

Paternal grandparents  - Francis Henry Harmer and Ann Harmer (nee Barrett)
Maternal grandparents -Richard CHAMPION  and   Mother Elizabeth (nee Cowley).

Siblings:
Brother     Francis Harmer (b 15 May 1863, Mount Barker SA, d 15 May 1863 1863 Moutntbarker SA)

Sister Elizabeth Ann Regina Harmer (b 18 May 1864 Bugle Ranges SA, d. 21 Jan 1874, Kadina SA)

Sister  Sarah Ann Gould Dart (nee Harmer) (b. 14 Sep1866, Tolderol SA, d. 2 Oct 1923 Hopetoun Vic)

Brother Francis Henry Vicars Harmer (b. 29 Mar 1869 Wistow SA, d. 7 Apr 1936 Loxton SA)

Brother James Herbert Harmer (b. 24 Feb 1871 CookePlains SA, d. 7 Aug 1947 Keith SA)

Brother William Edward Harmer (b. 26 Jul 1873, d. 3 Aug 1873 Kadina SA)

Brother     Elias Albert William HARMER  (b. 15/7/1874 Kadina, SA - d.  29 Aug 1951 Geelong Vic   )

Sister        Hannah Emily Louisa Minnie Victoria HARMER  (b. 13/8/1876 Kadina, SA - d. 10 Apr 1912 Windsor Vic )

Margaret Sarah Eunice Gibbs (nee Harmer) (b. 19 Aug 1879 Lucindale SA, d. 19 Apr 1949 Loxton SA)

Sister Elizabeth  Alice Harmer (b. 1884 Nhill Vic, d. 1884 Nhill Vic)

 

Described on enlisting as 31 years 9 months old, married (seperated by legal ),
5' 11 1/2" tall; dark complexion; hazel eyes; black hair; Church of England.

4/11/1914     completed medial at Hopetoun, Victoria

9/11/1914     enlisted at Hopetoun, Victoria

5/1/1915      Private at Depot, Broadmeadows

29/1/1915     Commanding Officer appointed William to 5th Battery, 2nd reinforcements

2/2/1915       embarked from Port of Melbourne on board HMAT Clan McGillivray A46
                    as a Private in the 5th Infantry Battalion,

1/3/1915       Sergeant with 2nd reinforcements, 5th Battalion

22/3/1915     embarked on board Ulysses, ex Suez, Egypt
15/4/1915      disembarked into Melbourne, Victoria

 

24/6/1915     transferred, ex 14th to 22 Battery

14/9/1915     admitted to and transferred to 16th Clearing Hospital (def. eyesight)
                    ANZAC

15/9/1915     defective vision, admitted Alexandria, per Novosa
                    transferred from 2/1st Anglican Field Ambulance to 16th Clearing Hospital

8/10/1915     discharged to Australian Base, ANZAC

17/10/1915    admitted to Reception Hospital, Mustepha
                     transferred to Convalescent Depot

8/11/1915      embarked per Alnwick Castle

3/1/1916        admitted overseas Base ex hospital

30/5/1916      to be Temporary Sergeant

2/6/1916        "2nd" embarked overseas with 46th Battalion, on board Kinfaus Castle

11/3/1916      taken on strength of the Battalion

31/3/1916      taken on strength into 46th Battalion

19/5/1916      promoted to Corporal

20/5/1916      to be temporary Sergeant

2/6/1916       proceeded to join British Expeditionary Forces, ex Alexandria
                    embarked on board Kinfaus Castle
8/6/1916       disembarked into Marseilles, France

3/7/1916       Sergeant with 4th Divisional Light Trench Mortar Battery

4/7/1916       transferred to 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery

8/7/1916       taken on strength into 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery

1/9/1916       killed in action - in the field in France

NO KNOWN GRAVE

Medals:
1914/15 Star (1095); British War medal (7827); Victory medal (7789); and
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (320252)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.   30/6/2015.  Lest we forget.

Edited and extended by Jon Harmer 8/5/16.

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