Dunn, Herbert Harrop

2361 Private Herbert Henry Dunn - 11th Battalion AIF

Herbert Henry Dunn was born in Shaw Lancashire England on July 27th 1890 to Ethel and Jonas Dunn.

He was educated locally and after leaving school he took up an apprenticeship of six years duration with his fathers company, who manufactured brushes. Herbert then decided to come to Australia for more work opportunities and he arrived in Fremantle Western Australia.

Herbert took up residence in the port city, living with his Uncle in East Fremantle, however the Great War would intervene and in May 1915 he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner passed him as fit for service, and recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 8 inches tall;

Weight - 146lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment, Herbert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion. He only had about a months training in WA as on the 25th June 1915, Herbert and his group embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the HMAT Karoola and set sail for Egypt.

Herbert only had a short time in Egypt as not long after arrival he and his group were sent on to Gallipoli, being taken on strength of the 11th Battalion on the 4th August 1915.

Herbert served at Gallipoli until November when he was evacuated ill. He soon rejoined the unit when they were evacuated to Lemnos island. As Gallipoli was being evacuated Herbert returned to Egypt in December 1915 and in March 1916 proceeded to France with the 11th Battalion.

On the 30th May 1916 Herbert was wounded by shrapnel in the thigh when the Germans launched a trench raid on the 11th Battalion positions. He had a few weeks in hospital but rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 5th July 1916.

Herbert was with the 11th Battalion when they captured Pozieres on the 23rd July 1916. He was again wounded and was suffering from shell shock. He was evacuated to Hospital, firstly in France and from there to England. While he was in hospital he penned a letter back to his Uncle in East Fremantle;

Our Battalion has lost heavily again, I was three days and nights in Pozieres wood and village. I followed my company in the charge. My mate and I were the only two stretcher bearers to follow on their heels. We didn’t get our orders to go to the aid post for instructions so we went in the charge. Blake (my mate) and I were very lucky to come through it all right. The first time we separated for a few minutes I was blown up by a high explosive. I had my eyes full of gravel, and that was all. The doctors cleaned it out and sent me back to work. I went to the front line with Blake again and we had a call so I ran on in front and part of the trench was blown in on me. I never saw Blake again, he had a wound on the head, a piece of metal went through his steel helmet and wounded him and he left the line. Altogether I was blown up three times and buried twice. I had very little sleep for three days before the charge so I was fagged before we made the charge and then the three days and night’s hard work had knocked me out. We had to carry men a mile under heavy shell fire…the ground was very rough and the craters and shell holes were that close together that it seemed impossible to make anymore.

Herbert remained in England for several months and after he had recovered from his wounds he was posted to join the newly forming 70th Battalion of the proposed 6th Division. This was a new Australian Division forming in England. However not enough reinforcements were coming through to form the new Division so it was eventually disbanded. However it meant that Herbert spent much of 1917 in England.

When the 70th Battalion was disbanded Herbert was returned to the 11th Battalion on the 21st October 1917. The battalion was then in the Passchendaele region of the battlefield.

Herbert remained with the Battalion for the next several months. He was promoted to Lance Corporal and was wounded for the third time in the war on the 23rd August 1918. Fortunately the wound was not too severe and Herbert rejoined his unit a few weeks later. Herbert was then promoted Corporal.

The 11th Battalion fought their last action of the war on September 18th 1918 and they were then withdrawn for a well deserved rest. In October 1918 Herbert was granted leave to England and was there on 11th November when the Armistice was declared.

Herbert returned to Australia on the 21st June 1919 aboard the transport ship Kongin Louise. He was discharged from the AIF on the 2nd October 1919.

When he had been in England in 1917, Herbert had got married on the 29th May to Elizabeth Mayall at the Parish Church at Shaw Lancaster.

After returning to Fremantle Herbert and Elizabeth set up house in Fremantle and Herb secured employment on Fremantle wharf as a waterside worker.

A son Sidney was born in 1920, Herbert in 1922 and Elizabeth in 1923.

Prior to the Second World War the Dunn's were living at Aurelian Street in Palmyra.

Despite being over 50 years old Herbert enlisted again in World War Two and served in the Fremantle Battalion of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

Herbert died in East Fremantle on the 2nd June 1977 aged 86.