SAPPER EDWARD STANLEY HARLE
7224 – 2nd Tunnelling Company
Edward Stanley Harle was born in Esh, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England in 1876. He came to Australia and
in 1908 was a miner at Harvest Home, Cooktown, Queensland and was working in New Guinea in 1911.
Two years later in 1913 was a labourer at Ingham, Qld and his address in 1916 was General Post Office,
Rockhampton, Qld.
On February 2, 1916 at the Central District Central Recruiting Depot in Rockhampton, Qld the forty year
old mariner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Personal particulars from the application show he
was 158cms (5ft 2ins) tall, weighed 54.1kgs (119lbs) with a chest measurement of 84cms (33ins). Fair
was his complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. Vision in his right eye tested to poor eyesight and
very poor in his left one. Church of England was his faith. Declared fit for active service the following
day Attestation Forms were completed adding further information that his cousin Robert Harle of Sydney,
NSW was nominated as next-of-kin. He was sworn in the same day by the Recruiting Officer.
Basic training commenced on February 6 with ‘K Coy’ of the 11th Depot Battalion at Enoggera, Brisbane,
Qld until March 29, 1916 with the regimental number 17985 then assigned to the Miners’ Depot (1st
Military district).
Sapper Harle (No. 8777) was transferred to the Miners’ Training Camp at Seymour, Vic but on May 29,
1916 was admitted to the Clearing Hospital at Seymour Military Camp for two days diagnosed with
Malaria. A report dated June 12, 1916 states he was discharged from the 5th Aust. General Hospital (3rd
M.D.) as unfit and to be treated in Townsville, Qld for the disability of Malaria. Another report dated
June 16 records he departed for North Queensland on the steamer Bombala on the 14th instant.
He returned after treatment to Seymour for examination before a Medical Board on August 21, 1916 and
his Statement of Case is as follows:
Disability:
Malaria
Origin of disability: 3½ years
Place of disability:
New Guinea.
Essential facts:
Contracted malaria in New Guinea 3½ years. Since then has been
subject to malarial attacks. Sent to Townsville for 7 weeks and
returned to No. 5 A.G.H. for boarding.
Cause of disability: Infection
Result of service:
Pre-enlistment
Present condition:
No physical signs of malaria. Very tremulous.
Special treatment:
Hospital
Recommendation:
Discharge as permanently unfit.
Ability to work:
Not lessened.
Approved:
31 Aug, 1916
Discharge took place on September 2, 1916 as medically unfit due to malaria and not misconduct. He
returned to the Rockhampton district.
The following year on February 27, 1917 while residing at 136 Alma Street, Rockhampton, Qld he
reapplied to enlist for active service again at the same recruiting depot. Attesting forms show some
personal particulars the same as the previous year but complexion changed to fresh with blue eyes and
fair hair and good vision was given for both eyes. Religion was Presbyterian. Next-of-kin was his sister
Henrietta Harle of 32 Broard Chase, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Swearing in took place the same day.
Entering Enoggera camp again, was placed with the Unallotted Group before training with the 11 th Depot
Battalion. A Statutory Declaration was completed on March 8, 1917 to have his full name of Edward
Stanley Harle stated on all military documents. Trained with the 10th Reinforcements to the 52nd
Battalion from March 9 to 29th, 1917 then reported to the Miners’ Depot (1st M.D.) Further details were
added on his Attestation Forms showing he had previously been discharged after seven months due to
medical unfitness. Private Harle applied for Home Leave to Mount Morgan, Qld to coincide with Easter
1917 and four days was granted from April 9 until April 13, 1916. Train travel was estimated to be forty
hours with two days time at home.
For further training a transfer to the Miners’ Reinforcements camp in Seymour, Vic on May 5, 1917 saw
him assigned to the March Reinforcements to the Tunnelling Company with the regimental number 7224
in the rank of Sapper. In preparation for departure his Will was noted to have been lodged with his friend
Hamey Thomasson of 136 Alma Street, Rockhampton, Qld.
The Reinforcements of 167 members embarked on HMAT A32 Themistocles from Melbourne, Victoria
on August 4, 1917. The voyage across the Pacific was rough and stormy for several days causing sea
sickness on board. As the ship entered the Tropics it became very hot. Colon, Panama was reached on
August 31, 1917 and during the unavoidable eight day delay very heavy rain and muggy conditions were
endured. The transport docked at Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 18, 1917 and three days later left to
experience good weather across the Atlantic arriving in Glasgow, Scotland on October 2, 1917 after a
fifty nine day voyage. The troops were detrained to Tidworth, England and the next day marched into the
Nos 1 and 3 Details Camps at Parkhouse for further training for the front.
Friend, Hamey Thomasson wrote to Base Records on October 1, 1917 inquiring if Sapper Harle had left
Australia and the next-of-kin to draw his allotment of 3/- per day after embarkation. Base Records
replied on October 10, 1917 advising that he had departed Melbourne, Vic on August 4, 1917 and his
allotment was being paid into his account at the Commonwealth Bank, Melbourne, Vic. Next-of-kin
could not be given until a satisfactory reason was stated.
On November 20, 1917 the Reinforcements proceeded to France from Southampton and marched into the
Aust General Base Depot at Rouelles then to the 1st Aust Command Depot two days later. On December
3, 1917 Sapper Harle was attached to the 2nd Tunnelling Company and taken on strength.
Blue Chevrons were due for twelve months service on the front and his service was without incident. In
an audit of the company he was noted to be with his unit on July 16, 1918.
He was still with his unit when Armistice was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the
front as part of the army of occupation assisting with rehabilitation of their area repairing roads and
bridges.
He proceeded on leave to the United Kingdom on November 14, 1918 and rejoined his unit on November
29. On December 5, 1918 marched out to the A.G.B.D. to attend a Medical Board and as a result crossed
the English Channel on December 9 disembarking at Southampton arriving at No. 2 Command Depot at
Weymouth camp the following day. On December 13 appeared before a Medical Board and his
Statement of Case reveals:
Disability:
Deformity Foot (left)
Origin of disability: Prior to enlistment
Place of disability:
Australia
Essential facts:
Age 48 years. Has never been able to do much marching because
of overlapping toes.
Causation:
Hereditary.
Present condition:
Hallux Valgus (left foot) with bunion over joints.
Existing disability: Rheumatism in legs.
Recommendation:
Disability Class I
Board finding:
Permanently unfit for general service, fit for home service.
Approved:
9/1/1919.
Nine days later on January 18 he embarked from the port of Liverpool on the H.T. Ulysses to return to
Australia for discharge as medically unfit due to deformity left foot. His berth for voyage was a
hammock. During the voyage a few medical tests were done and ‘no change’ was marked for his
disability. The ship docked in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on March 4, 1919 and he returned to Brisbane
by transport arriving on March 19, 1919.
Later that day at the 5th Aust General Hospital at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Qld he was assessed by the
Medical Officer. His essential facts were noted and his condition was recorded as:
Present condition:
Condition unchanged since before enlistment. Patient states it is not
a disability in civil life and refuses treatment.
He also received a dental check and no dental treatment was required.
Discharge was approved the following day. That evening he was picked up drunk in Queen Street,
Brisbane at the Post Office at 8 p.m. and remanded to the Staff Officer for Invalid and Returned Soldiers.
His personal property was listed as follows:
Watch, Compass, Knife, £7-10-3½d in Cash, Purse and pair Gloves.
A Statement of the incident was made by Private W.H. Duncan which reads:
I, Private Duncan in company with Private Peters at 8.30 p.m. proceeded down Queen Street
and there saw lying in a drunken condition in the Post Office, we then conveyed him to
Victoria Barracks and charged him with drunkenness.
(sgd) Pte Duncan, W.H.
H. Peters.
Military Discharge took place in Brisbane (1st M.D.) on April 11, 1919 due to medical unfitness.
For serving his country Sapper 7224 Edward Stanley Harle, 2nd Tunnelling Company received the British
War Medal (31014) and the Victory Medal (29337).
Later that year he was working as a Station Hand in the Peak Downs district, central Queensland.
In 1930 his address was Little Tableland, via Cooktown with the occupation of miner and was in Mount
Molloy district when these articles were published in the Cairns Post on June 12, 1933:
MISSING
SEPARATED FROM MATE
MT. MOLLOY SEARCH
MT MOLLOY, June 11.
A report was received by the Police early this morning from Mr S. Green, that Edward Stanley Harle
(57), with whom he had been prospecting for gold near Lime Quarry, on the Mitchell River, had been
missing since midday on Saturday.
THE SEPARATION
It was stated that both men had been prospecting about a mile from their camp, and separated to
prospect on either side of the ridge they were following. Harle did not arrive at the head of the ridge,
and no trace of him could be found.
The Police with a party of 10 horses and a car, proceeded immediately to the district, and searched all
day, without success.
The searched followed tracks for about two miles, but they were lost in the grass over six feet high.
The search was maintained till dusk, and will be resumed this morning at daybreak.
The next day further information was printed in Cairns Post on June 13, 1933 on the incident:
MAN LOCATED
MT. MOLLOY CASE
MT MOLLOY, June 12.
The prospector, Mr E.S. Harle, who was lost near the Mitchell River, and for whom a persistent and
skilful search was prosecuted, by Constable Tooner, ably assisted by Messrs “Chick” McKay and Syd
Green turned up at Kane’s Farm, about for miles from Bilwon, at 2 p.m. today
The lost man was suffering from exhaustion, but was otherwise, uninjured.
THE “COMPASS”
It had taken him about five hours to struggle over the last few miles. He was guided by the rooster’s
crowing.
THE GOOD WORK
The search party, who deserve the utmost credit, tracked him across the rough country with grass six
feet high in places. They reached Kane’s soon after Harle turned up.
They returned to Mt Molloy this afternoon.
Harle still had his pan and shovel, which he had carried all the way.
He listed his occupation as a fossicker in 1936 at Struck Oil, Mount Morgan, Qld but the following year
was at 66 Derby Street, Rockhampton.
In 1954 he was residing at 246 Old South Head Road, Bondi in Sydney, NSW.
Edward Stanley Harle died in Sydney, NSW on October 29, 1956 aged 86 years and his death was
registered at Bondi. Notices were placed in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday October 30, 1956:
DEATHS
HARLE, Edward Stanley—October 29, 1956 at Old South Head Road, Bondi and late of Newcastleon-Tyne, in his 87th year.
FUNERALS
HARLE—The Funeral service for the late EDWARD STANLEY HARLE, of 246 Old South Head
Road, Bondi, will be held at the Waverley Cemetery, This Day, Tuesday, at 2 p.m.
CHARLES KINSELA PTY LTD
A.F.D.A.
Est 1830
FA4136
© Donna Baldey 2011
www.tunnellers.net