Henry Thomas (Harry) Brear
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | Not known |
| Place of Birth | Moonee Ponds, Victoria |
| Death | 8 Oct 1951, aged 69 |
| Place of Death | Perth, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 32 years, 8 months |
| Description | 5' 5½" (1.66m) tall; weight 139 lbs (63.0 kg), dark complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair |
| Occupation | upholsterer |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | NOK Kelmscott, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother Mrs Eliza Ayton |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 713 |
| Date of Enlistment | 12 Nov 1914 |
| Rank | Trooper |
| Unit/Formation | 10th Light Horse regiment, 4th Reinforcement, transferred to 5th Division. |
| Date of Embarkation | 22 Feb 1915 - 24 Mar 1915 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A50 Itonus |
| Date of Return | 17 Jun 1918 - 8 Aug 1918 |
| Ship Returned On | HMT Matatua |
| Fate | Returned to Australia (Medical grounds) |
| Monument | none as yet |
| Medals |
1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
Known as Harry and signs name as Harry Brear.
War Service
Sworn in at Helena Vale by Hugo Throssell, and allocated to the 4th reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse.
Embarked for Gallipoli from Alexandria on 22 May 1915 and he and 29 others were taken on strength by the 10th Light Horse on the 26th of May in Monash Gully. On 9 Jul 1915 they were on Walker's Ridge, with sickness affecting many of the men (no meat for two weeks) including Harry who was evacuated to hospital in Malta via HMHS Devanha, before being moved to the Military Hospital at Intarfa, and finally evacuated on SS Somali then acting as a Hospital Ship to King George's Hospital in Stanford, England in late Aug 1915.
His initial illness was influenza, later combined with diarrhoea. Returned to Alexandria ex England on 5 Mar 1916, but returned to hospital from 7 Apr to 9 May 1916 in Egypt with VD. AWOL in both June (7 days) and December 1916 (2 days) as well as being disciplined for gambling in December.
Sent to France where he was attached to 2nd Anzac HQ France (5th Division Base Depot) from 23 Jan 1917 until 28 Sep 1917 when he transferred to a base unit in England.
Applied for discharge in England on fitness grounds, asking to be accepted for work as a munitions worker. His request was not successful.
Sent home on medical grounds (old 1910 injuries to his ankles) and discharged by 5th Military District on 4 Sep 1918.
Eighty Fifth Casualty List. Wounded-In-Hospital, London, H.T. Brear (Kelmscott).
Discharge was medical from a pre existing condition to both ankles being fractured in 1910 when run over by a wagon. In 1942 The State Government Insurance Office wrote to the Army to establish if Henry had a history of injury to his left ankle or leg.
Post War
Only Electoral Roll entry is for 1943 - 28 Stanley street, South Brisbane, a carpenter. A letter from SGIO Queensland in July 1942 implies that he had been in Qld for some time and was making a claim under workers' compensation. Returned to WA by the time of his death in 1951 and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.
Notes