Pte
William Henry Hardy
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1896 |
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Place of birth: Boggabri, New South Wales, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Laggan, New South Wales, Australia |
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 2078 |
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Enlistment date: 27/04/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 35th Bn. (Newcastle's Own Regiment) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Augustus Wood, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXVII Row: A Grave: 4 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Henry Hardy was the son of John and Elizabeth Hardy. He was born around 1896 in Boggabri, New South Wales. He worked as a labourer. William enlisted in the Australian Army and was a part of the 35th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (9th Brigade, 3rd Division).
William died on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting lines of the attack on Passchendaele were near Keerselaarhoek. At 5.25 a.m., the starting signal for the attack was given. The 35th Battalion advanced in support of the 34th Battalion. They managed to capture Hillside Farm and Augustus Wood, thus reaching their first objectives. After a temporary delay due to machine gun fire, they managed to advance further. The consolidation lasted until around 3 p.m. The battalion was then forced to retreat to the vicinity of Augustus Wood. The attack ended about 300 yards beyond the original starting lines.
William fell at the age of 21. An eyewitness stated that he himself was lying wounded on the ground when he saw William and some others passing by. They assured him that they would send stretcher-bearers in his direction when they encountered them. He saw how they were mowed down a few metres away by machine-gun fire. After the war, William's body was recovered near Augustus Wood. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
William died on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting lines of the attack on Passchendaele were near Keerselaarhoek. At 5.25 a.m., the starting signal for the attack was given. The 35th Battalion advanced in support of the 34th Battalion. They managed to capture Hillside Farm and Augustus Wood, thus reaching their first objectives. After a temporary delay due to machine gun fire, they managed to advance further. The consolidation lasted until around 3 p.m. The battalion was then forced to retreat to the vicinity of Augustus Wood. The attack ended about 300 yards beyond the original starting lines.
William fell at the age of 21. An eyewitness stated that he himself was lying wounded on the ground when he saw William and some others passing by. They assured him that they would send stretcher-bearers in his direction when they encountered them. He saw how they were mowed down a few metres away by machine-gun fire. After the war, William's body was recovered near Augustus Wood. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 5
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35th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/52/4). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 HARDY W H). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1039024). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129. Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=80d2fce9-7bd3-466f-8179-6eaa15590caf |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463061 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7472586 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=127020 |