Harry Willis, a farm boy gone to war
Settle in for a good read as Harry’s story is a complex and multi-faceted one. It involves brothers who were also fighting on the Western Front, multiple generations of his family impacted by his loss, family involvement in Lambis Englezos’ research team and a lucky charm that helped build evidence across the decades of the link between Fromelles and Australia. The first part focuses quite rightly on Harry, his life and his family while the second part concentrates on the broader Fromelles research story and family member Tim Whitford’s close involvement.
Our thanks go to Tim for much of the content of this story. It includes a blending of material written by Tim firstly for author, Patrick Lindsay, who included Tim’s work as an epilogue in his book ‘Our Darkest Day’ (2011, Hardie Grant, pp 201-211) and secondly, for an FFFAIF newsletter article Uncle Harry's Charm posted 8 July 2008.
Henry Victor 'Harry' Willis was born in 1895 in the South Gippsland town of Alberton in Victoria. Photos of him are cherished by his family as they show him with the faint glimmer of a smile. Harry was a 20-year-old soldier in the 31st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which was allotted the task of being the right-forward assault battalion of the 8th Brigade in the Battle of Fromelles.
Harry enlisted on 14 July 1915 in Yarram Yarram just north of his family home in Alberton, Victoria. He was allocated service number 983 and embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A62 Wandilla on 9 November 1915.
Harry was a good-looking boy and always had a smile on his face. He was extremely youthful in his looks and was a hard worker. He worked as a general labourer on the family farmlet and helped on other farms around the district. Harry’s brothers Bert, George, David and Syd all joined the AIF when war came and after receiving a white feather in the post, Harry soon forged his mum’s signature (he was 19 years old – under aged at the time) and joined up as well.
Janet mustn’t have minded too much as she never sought to have Harry discharged in the months that he was at Broadmeadows camp. I guess money was tight, so the extra really helped.
Harry became an original member of D Company (OC Captain Mills) of the 31st Battalion (Lt Col Toll), 8th Brigade (General Tivey), and was eventually trained as part of a Lewis Gun team. We think Harry was proud of being a soldier. Although he never wrote much, he sent many portraits home to the family.
Harry, with the rest of the 8th Brigade, missed out on the Gallipoli campaign and spent an extended period of time training in Egypt before sailing for the Western Front.
The 31st Battalion was allotted to the attack on Fromelles shortly after its arrival in France, and it was while marching up to the Fleurbaix sector that Harry and his older brother Syd had a chance, final meeting. Syd had been in a neighbouring sector with the 21st Battalion and was on a carrying fatigue when the two met. Both brothers knew that Harry’s chances weren’t good and one can only imagine what it feels like, in a few snatched moments, to shake hands and say goodbye to a little brother for what they knew might be the last time.