Pte
Harold John Stephens
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 26/03/1893 |
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Place of birth: Bundamba, Queensland, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Brisbane Road, Bundamba, Lpswich, Queensland, Australia |
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Profession: Wood Machinist |
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Religion: Methodist |
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: 4292 |
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Enlistment date: 17/09/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 47th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Dash Crossing, Broodseinde, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 24 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: III Row: A Grave: 13 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Enlistment place | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harold John Stephens was born March 26, 1893, in Bundamba, the son of Benjamin Thomas Stephens and Agnes Dudgeon Stephens. On Sept. 17, 1915, he enlisted. On January 3, he left the Australian mainland and by June 9 was in France. The unit he was assigned to, was the 47th Bn. Australian Infantry, part of the 12th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Division.
On October 12, 1917, the 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The objective of the 4th Australian Division was to advance over the Broodseinde Ridge to Keiberg Spur to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was hit by German artillery shells. Almost all the signalmen and couriers were casualties, making further communication more difficult during the battle. Harold was one of them.
The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. Both battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
Harold John Stephens was temporarily buried in close proximity to the headquarters, between Dash Crossing and Defy Crossing, near the railroad embankment. Presently he rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was 24 years old.
On October 12, 1917, the 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The objective of the 4th Australian Division was to advance over the Broodseinde Ridge to Keiberg Spur to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was hit by German artillery shells. Almost all the signalmen and couriers were casualties, making further communication more difficult during the battle. Harold was one of them.
The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. Both battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
Harold John Stephens was temporarily buried in close proximity to the headquarters, between Dash Crossing and Defy Crossing, near the railroad embankment. Presently he rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was 24 years old.
Sources 3
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Deayton Craig , Battle Scarred: the 47th Battalion in the First World War (Newport Big Sky publishing Ltd, 2011).156-188. Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, Stephens, John Harold). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 129-132. Sources used |
More information 4
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/464765 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=f9b70f50-dec7-4c95-a924-b1fcbba83ebc |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7299660 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=287202 |