Harold Hopgood Surman

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	London, England
Death	5 Jan 1954, aged 87
Place of Death	Beaconsfield, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	44 years old
Description	5'5½" (1.66m) tall; weight 127 lbs (57.6 kg); fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair
Occupation	tailor or farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Iris Edna Surman
Military Information
Reg Number	3447
Date of Enlistment	24 Jan 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	51st Battalion, 9th Reinforcement / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	29 Jan 1917 - 27 Mar 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Date of Return	15 Feb 1918 - 8 Apr 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Llanstephan Castle
Fate	Wounded in Action 26 Sep 1917 at Polygon Wood Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale (West Armadale panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

1909 Married Iris Edna Tapper in Fremantle; Iris died 6 Jun 1968 aged 77.

Electoral Roll entries - 1906 tailor at Hampton street, Beaconsfield; 1910 - 1912 with Iris, gaoler rear of 137 Alexander road, South Fremantle; 1913 - 1916 farmer, Wongong Flats, Armadale.

War Service

Early in his time at Blackboy Hill Harold is earmarked for the Pioneers, but on 12 Apr 1916 he was reallocated to the 9th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, chaging to the 23rd draft on 14 Aug, then the 22nd draft on 4 Sep, and finally as a result of being hospitalised in No 8 General Hospital Fremantle from 20 Dec to 17 Jan 1917, he finds himself in the 9th reinforcement draft for the 51st Bn.

During the voyage to England, Harold spends two brief periods in the ship's hospital. On arrival in England he was posted to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford, before proceeding overseas to France from Southampton on 25 Jun 1917.

He reached the 51st Battalion on 15 Jul 1917 and was taken on strength by them while they were in the front line between the Warnave and Douve Rivers in southern Belgium near Ploegsteert. On 26 Sep 1917 the 51st Battalion were tasked with taking the third line of objectives in the major attack in what is known as the Battle for Polygon Wood. They marched out from Ypres the previous day and were formed up in no man's land at 1:30am. It is not known if Harold's wound occurred during the attack, or later in repelling German counter attacks on the ground that the Australians had won that morning. He received a GSW to his left arm.

Rejoining his battalion on 26 Dec 1917, his age and the injury were obviously affecting him and he was sent for a Medical Board which determined that he was not fit for front line duty (age now given as 52 and suffering rheumatism) and he left France on 7 Jan 1918.

Discharged 5th Military District 28 Apr 1918 - age.

His name is included in the 1917 Feb-Mar edition of The Drill of the Foot-Hills, but no details.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1922 Iris at 243 Hampton road, South Fremantle; 1925 Iris in Holland street, East Fremantle, Harold a timber worker at Plavin's (Dwellingup area?); 1931 Iris at rear 264 Hampton road, South Fremantle; 1936 Iris Edna with son Harold Frederick ( 1911 - 12 Oct 1987) at 150 Hampton road [HF married Queenie L Baker in 1935.]; 1937 - 1943 with Iris at Holyoake; 1943 listed as a gentleman at 20 Healy street, South Fremantle; 1949 inmate, Sunset Home for Men, Nedlands. 1949 Iris with daughter in law Queenie at 256 South street, South Fremantle; 1958 - 1963 Iris at 26 Healy street, South Fremantle