Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Address at the time of enlisting was Temora, NSW. Sometimes referred to as Harry McKenzie Adams

Son of Robert Smart Adams and Elizabeth Adams nee McKenzie of Mulgoa Road, Penrith, NSW

Husband of Lily Clarisa Adams nee Nugley. Harrie and Lily married on 13 12 December 1918 in the Registry Office, Islington, England. Marriage record shows his name as Harry McKenzie Adams

Commenced return to Australian on 20 December 1918 aboard HT Orontes disembarking on 3 February 1919

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Harrie McKenzie Smart Adams was taught at school by Mary Cameron, who later became Dame Mary Gilmore - one of Australia's most respected writers.

Harrie's son (Harrie Newton) served in WWII in New Guinea. He was a patient in the 2/9th Australian General Hospital when it was inspected by Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey. When asked about which unit he served in, Harrie Newton indicated 'tanks', to which Blamey scoffed, indicating that he didn't know Australian tanks had been in action. When relying this to his father, Harry McKenzie indicated Blamey had had a hit to the head as a child, and that's why he wouldn't remember Australia had tanks in WWII.  The story was then relayed ...

During a playground scuffle, Harry McKenzie picked up a bundle wood-wool from an opened packing case and threw it at Blamey. "Unfortunately," said Harry McKenzie, "there happened to be a hammer inside the bundle." Blamey wasn't particulary liked by his school mates because of his privileged background and that he was a snob. 

The family left Wagga Wagga in 1893 and returned to a nomadic life on the goldfields. They travelled north through Temora to Barmedman where his father attained his Miner's Rights.

In 1894-5, they moved south past Harden-Murrumbarrah to a new gold field at Garangula, then onto Gundagai. Harry McKenzie attained his miner's rights on 10 Mar 1898 at age 16, but continued to mine with his father as well as on his own.  He had some success when he left 5oz of gold at the Royal Mint in Sydney for coinage.

By 1905, Harrie is in Broken Hill and involved with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or 'Wobblies').  When the Great War broke out, the IWW urged its memebrs not to enlist becuase to do so would involve fighting against fellow workers of other countries. The Government disliked the impact of this on recruiting and the IWW was banned shortly after.

On 1 Feb 1915, a train with 1200 passengers including Harrie left Broken Hill for Silverton. Two men waving a Turkish flag and positioned behind an embankment fired shots at the train - 3 passengers were killed and 7 wounded. The assassins were hunted down and shot.

Harrie enlisted at Casula NSW on 14 Jan 16 and embarked on the Ulysses from Sydney on 20 Feb 16 for service in the 1st Australian Mining Corps. He served in the Middle East (mostly training) and France/Belgium with the 1st AMC and the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company. 

He was wounded multiple times whilst serving. He had been shot through the chest by a German machine-gunner and badly gassed by a German artillery bombardment of new types of shells which released mustard gas on impact. This wasn't the first time he was gassed, but it was the worst. He was evacuated to England.

He had previously met Lily Clarissa UNGLEY during leave in Engalnd and wrote to her from France. Some of the letters survive in the family today.

With his Commanding Officer's approval, Harrie and Lily marry on 13 Dec 1918 in the Registry Office at Islington in the County of London. Harry arrived back in Australia on 1 Feb 1919 on the Hired Transport, 'Orontes'. Lily arrived later as a war bride.

Harrie still required medical treatment and was discharged from the AIF on 7 Jul 1919. He and Lily started their family by 1920. The first son was still born, but Harrie Newton came along in 1921 and Corrie Winifred Adams (who served as a nurse in WWII) came along in 1923.

They bought a house at Haberfield, and were able to buy a 'weekender' at Salt Pan on Pittwater, called 'The Shack', for family recreation. Lily and Harrie were quite the business people and sold butter and eggs. He then took to being an iron-monger's assistant for 'Babock and Wilcox' who built many of the coal fired electicity power stations of the time.

During the depression, Harrie was unemployed and would work on "The Shack" or out on his father's farm at Penrith. He rented part of the house to a German couple to help with expenses. Harrie Newton quite liked the couple, but Harry McKenzie barely tolerated them due to his wartime experience.  By the end of the 30s, Harry McKenzie was employed fulltime again at the Navel Dockyard at Garden Island, again as an iron-monger's assistant. He worked there throughout WWII until he became to ill to work.

From the dockyard, Harrie McKenzie watched the hired troopship "Queen Mary", sail down the Harbour taking the first batch of the 6th Division to the Middle East. When he came home from work, he was apparently visibly upset by the experience. He said that WWI was the war to end all wars, but clearly that was propoganda - it was happening again. He told Harrie Newton he would never give his consent to enlist.  (Later, Harrie put his age up two years at age 19 to enlist.)

In early 1947, Harry McKenzie became very ill; having been prone to bouts of bronchitis since the gas and gunshot wounds to the chest in WWI. HE was sent to the Repatriation General Hospital at Concord where he was diagnosed as suffering from Carcinoma Ventriculi; and treatment involved radioactive isotopes. He was operated on and the surgeon was quite pleased with its success; but, 3 days later he developed brocho-pneumonia and died on 6 Jun 1947.

He was cremated at Rockwood on 9 Jun and his ashes are placed in the War Graves section.