Harold Wesley George
Encyclopedia
Harold Wesley George was an Australian representative
rugby union
prop forward who saw active service and fell in World War I
.
in Sydney where he played as a front-rower. He made twenty state representative appearances for New South Wales
and appeared on eight occasions between 1910 and 1914 for Australia
. He played in Australia's first win over the All Blacks
in Sydney
in 1910 and in the inaugural Test against the USA in Berkeley in California in 1912.
, Australian Imperial Force
- the Battalion had been raised in September 1914 only six weeks after the declaration of war. The main strength of the battalion left Australia from Albany in December arriving in Egypt in February 1915. Harold George was enlisted to a force of reinforcements for the 13th and left Sydney on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 11 February 1915.
Along with the rest of the 4th Brigade, under the command of then Colonel John Monash
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. Between May to August, they were then heavily involved in operations to establish and defend the narrow beachhead against Turkish assaults,
Harold George fought against the entrenched Turkish
forces at Gallipoli in these actions where he was mortally wounded by sniper fire in May 1915 at Pope's Post. He died from wounds on 10 May 1915, aboard ship after evacuation from Gallipoli. He is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial (Turkey, Panel 37).
His clubmate Clarrie Wallach
who also fought at Anzac Cove, wrote a letter home which was published in the sporting paper The Referee. He described hearing of George's death from the William Tasker
another rugby contemporary who saw Gallipoli action and later died on the Western Front."Twit Tasker told me how Harold George died the death of deaths - a hero's - never beaten till the whistle went".
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Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
prop forward who saw active service and fell in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Rugby career
George's club rugby career was with the Eastern Suburbs RUFCEastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
in Sydney where he played as a front-rower. He made twenty state representative appearances for New South Wales
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and appeared on eight occasions between 1910 and 1914 for Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. He played in Australia's first win over the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
in 1910 and in the inaugural Test against the USA in Berkeley in California in 1912.
Military career
On 21 January 1915, George enlisted as a private with the 13th (New South Wales) Infantry Battalion13th Battalion (Australia)
The 13th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales,...
, Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
- the Battalion had been raised in September 1914 only six weeks after the declaration of war. The main strength of the battalion left Australia from Albany in December arriving in Egypt in February 1915. Harold George was enlisted to a force of reinforcements for the 13th and left Sydney on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 11 February 1915.
Along with the rest of the 4th Brigade, under the command of then Colonel John Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. Between May to August, they were then heavily involved in operations to establish and defend the narrow beachhead against Turkish assaults,
Harold George fought against the entrenched Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
forces at Gallipoli in these actions where he was mortally wounded by sniper fire in May 1915 at Pope's Post. He died from wounds on 10 May 1915, aboard ship after evacuation from Gallipoli. He is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial (Turkey, Panel 37).
His clubmate Clarrie Wallach
Clarrie Wallach
Clarrie "Doss" Wallach MC was an Australian representative rugby union forward and decorated World War I military officer. He fought at Gallipoli and in France and died on the Western Front...
who also fought at Anzac Cove, wrote a letter home which was published in the sporting paper The Referee. He described hearing of George's death from the William Tasker
William Tasker
William George Tasker was an Australian World War I soldier who had been a national representative rugby union player making six Test appearances for the Wallabies.-Early life:...
another rugby contemporary who saw Gallipoli action and later died on the Western Front."Twit Tasker told me how Harold George died the death of deaths - a hero's - never beaten till the whistle went".
Honours and awards
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| 1914-15 Star 1914-15 Star The 1914-15 Star was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The 1914-15 Star was approved in 1918, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 .Recipients of this medal also... |
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| British War Medal British War Medal The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918... |
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Victory Medal Victory Medal (United Kingdom) The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at... |
See also
Blbliography
- Collection (1995) Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby, Harper Collins Publishers Sydney
- Zavos, Spiro (2000) Golden Wallabies - The Story of Australia's Rugby World Champions, Penguin Books, Ringwood, Victoria