Errington, Harold George
1955 Corporal Harold George Errington - 12th Battalion & 1st Machine Gun Battalion
Harold George Errington was born in Rosewater South Australia in 1892 to William and Eve Errington. He was one of eleven siblings born into the family.
Shortly after his birth they family moved to Western Australia and set up residence in South Fremantle. The family were living at 19 Jenkins Street.
Prior to the Great War Harold secured employment with the Fremantle Tramways where he worked as a conductor and tram driver.
On the 5th March 1915 Harold enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;
Weight - 145lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Black.
Upon his successful enlistment, Harry was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He had the first few weeks with No.11 Depot Company where he went through the basics of infantry training. On the 1st April 1915 Harry was assigned to the 5th Reinforcement Group to the 12th Battalion AIF.
He trained with them in WA until the 26th April 1915 when they boarded the Transport ship H.M.A.T. “Hororata” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. After arriving there in late May, they were soon put on a transport ship in Alexandria and transported to Gallipoli. Harry was taken on strength of the 12th Battalion on the 16th June 1915. The 12th Battalion were on the southern portion of the Anzac Battlefield. Reg served with them through June and July at Boltons Ridge and Leane's Trench, and in the beginning of August when the 12th Battalion were called in to assist the 1st Brigade during the attack on Lone Pine. On August 8th the 1st and 2nd Brigades had managed to capture the Turkish trenches but faced severe pressure in holding them as the Turks fought back desperately. The 12th Battalion came in and assisted in bombing back the Turks.
Harry was in the thick of the action and as well as fighting the Turks, the 12th Battalion were also tasked with clearing the trenches of dead and wounded. Harry rescued a New South Welshman of the 4th Battalion AIF, 335 Private Alex Goldie. Goldie wrote back to Harry's father as to what happened;
My dear Mr Errington I am forwarding a letter from George on to you which he gave me when I was wounded. I am leaving the Dardanelles. He was alright and he told me to tell you not to worry over him. I must say he is the best friend I have ever had, he carried me a good quarter of a mile over dead Turks in the trenches. I owe my life to him, but for him I would have been there now. I sincerely trust that he will come out of it all right.
Harry survived the Lone Pine action unscathed but after three months of constant action he was exhausted and on the 25th August 1915 he reported sick and was sent to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance where he was diagnosed with debility. Harry was then sent to Mudros Island where he was admitted to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station.
His condition was not improving so Harry was sent on a hospital ship to Malta where he was admitted to St George's Hospital. Harry remained in Malta for two months and on the 13th November 1915 was transferred to England.
On the 20th November 1915 Harry was admitted to the 3rd Southern General Hospital at Oxford. Harry's condition was very serious as the debility had been compounded with dysentery. He remained in hospital in Oxford till the 31st March 1916. He was then transferred to a Convalescent Depot at Abbey Wood.
After he was deemed fit enough Harry was transferred to the 3rd Training Battalion at Perham Downs Camp.
On the 25th July 1916 Harry left the 3rd Training Battalion and was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade where he regained his fitness. By October 1916 he had arrived at Etaples in France and was sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot Camp. On the 10th November 1916 Harry was then sent to the Australian Machine Gun Depot Camp at Camiers. Instead of rejoining the 12th Battalion Harry would now be joining the 3rd Australian Machine Gun Company. He was taken on strength of this unit on the 14th November 1916.
The 3rd Machine Gun Company provided machine gun support for the 3rd Infantry Brigade. Harry joined the unit when they were on the Somme battlefield. They were in this sector till March 1917, when the Germans withdrew to their defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line.
In April and May 1917 Harry saw action at Boursies, Lagnicourt and Bullecourt and fortunately came through unscathed. After the action at Bullecourt in May 1917 the whole of the 1st Australian Division was pulled out of the line for a rest period.
In early September 1917 Harry was granted a leave period to England but returned in time to take part in the upcoming action in Belgium.
In September and October 1917 Harry took part in the Third Battle of Ypres at the actions of Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Celtic Wood. He survived these actions and on the 15th October 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.
The following day Harry was sent to the Brigade School. He spent a month at the School and on his return fell ill and was admitted to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance. Initially he was diagnosed with a 'PUO' or Pyrexia of Unknown Origin. He was then sent to No.10 Stationary Hospital at St Omer and he was soon diagnosed as suffering from influenza. He spent a further two months in hospitals in France while he recovered.
On the 29th January 1918 Harry was released from hospital and returned to the Machine Gun Depot at Camiers.
Harry rejoined the 3rd Machine Gun Company on the 14th February 1918. Shortly after rejoining, his unit changed it's name. There were four Machine gun units within each division, i.e. for the 1st Australian Division there was the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 21st Machine Gun Companies. These separate Companies were now formed into a Battalion which was called the 1st Machine Gun Battalion.
Harry served through the 1918 actions of his unit at Nieppe, Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris through April to July 1918 and in the August 8th advance from Villers-Bretonneux on the 8th August 1918 and the subsequent actions through to September 18th 1918.
After September 18th the 1st Australian Division was pulled out of the line and given a rest. In October 1918 Harry was given two weeks leave to the UK, returning to his unit on the 3rd November 1918. Harry was with his unit when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918.
After the war was officially over the Australians were sent north to what had been German occupied Belgium, around the city of Charleroi. Harry didn't remain in Belgium for long as on the 12th January 1919 he returned to England. He was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny where he waited to be allotted a berth on a troopship home.
On the 11th March 1919 Harry boarded the transport ship Kildonan Castle and set sail for home, disembarking at Fremantle on the 27th April 1919.
Harry was discharged from the AIF on the 20th August 1919.
Harry's brother Reginald had served with him in the 3rd Machine Gun Company and the 1st Machine Gun Battalion and was decorated for his bravery with the award of a Military Medal. He also survived the war.
After returning from the war Harry resumed employment with Fremantle tramways. In 1922 Harry was living at 172 Beach Street Fremantle.
In 1923 in Fremantle he married Catherine Haynes and they had a son called Keith. They had moved from Beach Street to 44 Malcolm Street Fremantle. By 1931 they had moved to 15 Dorothy Street Fremantle.
In 1937 they were living at 10 Canning Road Fremantle which soon became Canning Highway.
Harold died on the 21st September 1957 in East Fremantle.