Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harry James Bail was born in June of 1889, in Adelaide, South Australia. He was the son of John Bail (Father) and Mary Ann Shiells (Mother), he was also a brother of 8 siblings, 3 females and 5 males. He was educated at Gilles Street Primary School Bail worked as a Carpenter and Joiner before he enlisted. It is stated on his enlisting details that he had a medium complexion with his height being 5 feet and 2 1/4 inches, he weighed 138 lbs. with grey-coloured eyes, dark hair.

Harry James Bail enlisted on the 7th of July 1915 when he was 26 years old. He joined the 32nd Battalion on the 16th of August 1915.  On his enlistment details it is stated that his next of kin was his mother Mrs. M A Bail, who lived on 25 Louis Street, Adelaide, South Australia. His unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A2 Geelong on the 18th of November 1915. They arrived at Suez 18th December 1915 and then went on to England

Bail took time to adjust to military life while training in early 1916. His records show that he was untidily dressed for parade and was admoished, and on another occasion was in trouble for talking while on parade and forfeited 6 days pay for this offence. He trained until June 1916 when he proceeded to France arriving at Marseilles 23rd June 1916.

On 19th of July 1916, Bail was wounded in action in France while fighting the Battles of Fromelles where there were 4 officers killed from his unit and another 8 wounded, there was also 67 men killed another 367 men wounded and 214 missing. On the 21st of July Bail was admitted to Hospital in France, on the 28th of the same month he was admitted to a hospital ship Boulogne to go to England, from which he was admitted to 2nd Southern Hospital Bristol on the 29th.

The 16th of October 1916 he was discharged from hospital and taken on strength by the No.1 Command Depot which was a facility used for the recuperation and rehabilitation of soldiers who had been wounded or fallen ill. Command depots like No. 1 Command Depot were designed to help soldiers recover and regain their strength before being sent back to the front lines or reassigned to other duties. These depots provided medical care, physical training, and other forms of support to ensure that soldiers were fit for service. 

While at Depot Bail appeared to struggle again with the tedium and disipline of the AIF. On the 27th of December he was in trouble for being absent without leave from the tattoo. He then committed another crime which was neglecting to obey orders on the same day. On the 16th of January, he was rewarded 13 days of field punishment number 2 for wearing gold with straps on overcoat. He was in confinement awaiting trial the full forfeiture was 33 days’ pay. Bail committed an offence which was absent without leave from the morning of the 8th of July 1917 until 3:35pm July 10th, for this offence he was Awarded 21 days of field punishment No. 2. On the 17th of the same month, he was awaiting trail the full forfeiture was 30 days pay.

July 20th 1917 Bail proceeded overseas again to France via South Hampton and the following day the 21st he marched in to Base Headquarters. On the 9th of August 1917 Bail marched out to his unit, and about a month later on the 1st of September 1917 his battalion fought in Polygon Wood for 7 days.

Bail was injured in a train accident dislocating his hip on the 16th of December, on the 25th he got admitted to the war hospital because of the injury he suffered. There was a Court of Inquiry held on the 28th of December. This was to make sure that he was not faking the injury to get out of fighting. The court found that ‘the train was under the control of the French Railway Authorities and there is no blame whatsoever for the accident is attached to the Troops on the train.’

On the first of March 1918, the German Spring Offensive started which his battalion fought in, but on the 10th of March. Bail committed an offence which was neglecting to obey “bounds” and rewarded 3 days confined to barracks. It can be assumed that he did not fight with his Battalion until the 13th of March, the German Spring Offensive only ended the 31st of May 1918 and it is most likely that he fought the rest of the battle with his battalion. On the 8th of August the Battle of Amiens started and 3 days later ended on the 11th of August. There was also the St Quentin Canal that was on the 29th of September 1918 to the 10th of October.

The next year on the first of June 1919 Harry James Bail was Promoted to Corporal 

On the 22nd February 1920 Harry James Bail arrived back in Australia. He was discharged 3rd May 1920

Bail married Rosanna Clara Johnson on the 30th of November 1920. He died 53 year later on the 7th of August 1973 at the age of 84. He was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia. He has memorials at Adelaide Gilles Street Primary School WW1 Honour Roll and Adelaide St John’s Anglican Church Memorial Tablet.