2nd Lt
Morris Hart
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 06/10/1895 |
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Place of birth: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: "Marara" Bowen Bridge Road, Brisbane, Australia |
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Profession: Clerk |
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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: Second Lieutenant |
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Enlistment date: 01/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 42nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Thames, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 27A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Morris Hart, a former clerk, was born on 6 October 1895 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was the son of Frederick MacDonnell and Isabella Hart and had a twin brother Byrne. Both Hart brothers enlisted on 1 July 1916 at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Morris Hart entered the force as a private but rose through the ranks. On the 23rd of July 1917 he was promoted to second lieutenant. Morris Hart served in 'C' Company of the 42nd Bn. Australian Infantry, part of the 11th Australian Brigade, of the 3rd Australian Division.
On 4 October 1917 the 42nd Battalion took part in the attack on the Broodseinde Ridge. Their assembly point was located between Hill 40 and the Zonnebeke station on the Ypres-Roulers railroad. The attack began at 6 a.m. The 42nd Battalion advanced behind the 43rd Australian Infantry. Forty minutes later it leapfrogged through the 43rd and moved towards Thames. The Germans were caught off guard and the 42nd Battalion captured the fortified positions at Alma and Thames without much fighting. After the line at Thames had been consolidated, the 44th Battalion moved through, continuing the attack on the ridge. Though the men didn’t get much resistance along the way, the German artillery heavily shelled the advance. Most casualties were sustained due to shell fire. Casualties were especially high when a barrage caught the advance in Thames Wood.
Hart Morris, aged 21, was killed in action on October 4, 1917. Second Lieutenant Hart had reached the first objective near Thames and was consolidating the line with his men. While digging in a shell fragment struck him in the head. Second Lieutenant Morris was initially buried where he fell near Thames, Zonnebeke. A cross bearing his name was erected on the site. His remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Morris Hart has no known grave and is remembered on panel 27A of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
On 4 October 1917 the 42nd Battalion took part in the attack on the Broodseinde Ridge. Their assembly point was located between Hill 40 and the Zonnebeke station on the Ypres-Roulers railroad. The attack began at 6 a.m. The 42nd Battalion advanced behind the 43rd Australian Infantry. Forty minutes later it leapfrogged through the 43rd and moved towards Thames. The Germans were caught off guard and the 42nd Battalion captured the fortified positions at Alma and Thames without much fighting. After the line at Thames had been consolidated, the 44th Battalion moved through, continuing the attack on the ridge. Though the men didn’t get much resistance along the way, the German artillery heavily shelled the advance. Most casualties were sustained due to shell fire. Casualties were especially high when a barrage caught the advance in Thames Wood.
Hart Morris, aged 21, was killed in action on October 4, 1917. Second Lieutenant Hart had reached the first objective near Thames and was consolidating the line with his men. While digging in a shell fragment struck him in the head. Second Lieutenant Morris was initially buried where he fell near Thames, Zonnebeke. A cross bearing his name was erected on the site. His remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Morris Hart has no known grave and is remembered on panel 27A of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 8
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11th Australian Infantry Brigade, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/11/11). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |
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42nd Battalion Australian Infantry, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/59/12). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1343629 Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Crompton, Richard. 1805 Info 8h: John Henry Crompton His death at Zonnebeke (3rd Ypres) - 4 October 1917 http://www.rgcrompton.info/crompton/1805info8h.html Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, HART M). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx. Sources used |
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Hart, Robin. Hart, Byrne (Lieutenant, 49 Battalion); Hart, Morris (Lieutenant, 42 Battalion, d. 1917). Australian War Memorial: MSS1674. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/MSS1674 Sources used |
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Stephenson, Stuart., Annals of the Brisbane Grammar School 1869 – 1922, (Brisbane, Anthony James Cumming, 1923). Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=4c53a518-aba8-4ecd-a00c-cbfc460c54f4 |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/924056 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=129553 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7463778 |