2611
BRAY, Howard Augustus
| Service Number: | 2576 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 June 1816 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Melrose, South Australia, 29 June 1899 |
| Home Town: | Wallaroo, Copper Coast, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | 26 August 1965, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Dudley Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Arthurton Memorial Oval Gates, Arthurton WW1 Honour Roll, Laura Public School Roll of Honour, Weetulta War Memorial Gates, Woodville Saint Margaret's Anglican Church Lych Gate |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Jun 1816: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 2576, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Commonwealth embarkation_ship_number: A73 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 2576, 5th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Commonwealth, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 2576 |
Help us honour Howard Augustus Bray's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Woodville High School
Howard Augustus Bray (Male) was born in Melrose, South Australia on the 29th June 1899. According to his service record, his next of kin was his mother (the whereabouts of his father is not mentioned in the archives). Before Howard Augustus joined the Army, he worked as a farmer. His hometown was Wallaroo, Copper Coast, South Australia.
Service Papers
Howard Augustus was 5ft 9, weighed 158 pounds and claimed to be 25 years and 11 months old when enlisting. Howard Augustus enlisted in the army during the year 1916 and enlisted at South Australia, Adelaide. Howard Augustus faked his age claiming he was 25 but he was actually 17 at the time. His religion was Church of England and his next of kin was his mother, Emma Bray.
Location of Service
Howard Augustus’s unit was the 5th Pioneers Battalion. They embarked from Australia on 19/9/1916 and arrived at Plymouth in November 1916.
The 5th Pioneers Battalion's job was engineers. They built defensive positions, command posts, and dugouts, set up barbed wire defences, and sometimes broke through enemy defences using tools such as the Bangalore Torpedo. Howard Augustus survived the war and was discharged on 6/8/19.
When Howard Augustus came back, he was “29” when he was actually 20. There is no information about his life after the war. Howard Augustus died on the 26th of August 1965. He passed away at the age of 66.
Bibliography
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3114224
https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/277
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51445
Click images to start slideshow.