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Harry Noel Wilson, known as Noel to his family, was born in Sydney in 1899. His parents moved to Inverell in 1902 after a tragic fire took the lives of his grandparents and their business in Otho Street, Inverell. In 1909 the family relocated to Coonamble where Noel eventually became a Drover. When WWI broke out, Noel raised his age to meet the criteria to join the Australian Army. He was only 16 years and 10 months old when he enlisted on 2 Dec 1915. He was initially assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in Romani, Egypt, in March 1916, and then transferred to the 6th Light Horse Regiment the following July 1916. One month later he died in the Battle of Romani between 4th-6th Aug 1916 at Bir-et-Maler. He was buried in Bir-et-Maler Cemetery close to the battlefield which was 26 miles north east of Kantara. About 1917 his body was exhumed with many other comrades and relocated to the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery. His name appears on Memorial Panel 5 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.
First World War Unit Embarkation Roll notes:
Wilson, Harry Noel
Service 2241
Rank/Calling: Private
Unit: 6 LHR (Light Horse Regiment) - 15 to 34 Reinforcements (March 1916 - March 1918) Ship Name: HMAT Orsova
Ship Number: A67
Date of Embarkation: 11/03/1916
Place of Embarkation: Sydney
The 6th Light Horse Regiment was raised in Sydney in September 1914 from men who had enlisted in NSW and became part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. Sailing from Sydney on 21 Dec 1914 the regiment disembarked in Egypt on 1 Feb 1915.
The Light Horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli but were subsequently deployed without their horses to reinforce the infantry. The 2nd Light Horse Brigade landed in late May 1915 and was attached to the 1st Australian Division. The 6th Light Horse became responsible for a sector on the far right of the ANZAC line, and played a defensive role until it left the peninsula on 20 Dec 1915.
Back in Egypt the 2nd Light Horse Brigade became part of the ANZAC Mounted Divison and in April 1916 joined the forces defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish advance across the Sinai Desert. It fought at the battle of Romani on 4 August at Katia the following day and participated in the pursuit that followed the Turks' retreat back across the desert.
The regiment spent late 1916 and early 1917 engaged on patrol work until the British advance into Palestine stalled before the Turkish bastion of Gaza. It was involved in the two abortive battles to capture Gaza directly (27 March and 19 April) and then the operation that utimately led to its fall - the wide outflanking move via Beersheba that began on 31 October.
With the fall of Gaza on 7 Nov 1917 the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 6th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December. The focus of British operations then moved to the Jordan Valley. In early 1918 the 6th was involved in the Amman (24-27 Feb) and Es Salt (30 Apr - 4 May) raids both of which were tactical failures but helped to convince the Turks that the next offensive would be launched across the Jordan. Instead the offensive was launched along the coast in Sep 1918 with the 6th taking part in a subsidiary effort east of the Jordan. It was part of the force that captured Amman on 25 Sep, which proved to be its last major engagement of the war; Turkey surrendered on 30 Oct 1918. The 6th Light Horse was employed one last time to assist in putting down the Egyptian revolt of early 1919 and sailed for home on 28 June.
Casualties: 111 killed, 461 wounded
Commanding Officers: Cox, Charles Frederick Fuller, Colin Dunmore White, Harold Albert Duckett Cross, Donald Gordon
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www.http://alh-research.tripod.com
Australian Military History of the Early 20th Century
Desert Column
Embarkation Roll
2241 Private Harry Noel WILSON, a 19 year old Drover from Coonamble, New South Wales. He enlisted on 2 December 1915; and subsequently was Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
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Harry Noel Wilson's name on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial
Harry Noel Wilson
Service number: 2241
Rank: Trooper [Tpr]
Unit: 6th Australian Light Horse
Service: Army
Conflict: 1914-1918
Date of death: 4 August 1916
Cause of death: Killed in action
Cemetery or memorial details: EGYPT 2 Kantara War Memorial Cemetery
War Grave Register notes: WILSON, Tpr. Harry Noel, 2241. 6th Australian Light Horse. Killed in action 4th Aug., 1916. Age 16. Son of James Charles and Ruth Wilson, of Coonamble, New South Wales. Native of Sydney, New South Wales. B. 36.
Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.
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A brief military biography of Harry Noel Wilson from The AIF Project:
Regimental number 2241
Religion Church of England
Occupation Drover
Address Box 21, Coonamble, New South Wales
Marital status Single
Age at embarkation 19
Next of kin Father, James Wilson, Box 21, Coonamble, New South Wales
Enlistment date 2 December 1915
Rank on enlistment Private
Unit name 6th Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number 10/11/4
Embarkation details Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A67 Orsova on 11 March 1916
Rank from Nominal Roll Private
Unit from Nominal Roll 6th Light Horse Regiment
Fate Killed in Action 4 August 1916
Age at death from cemetery records 16
Place of burial Kantara War Memorial Cemetery (Row B, Grave No. 16), Egypt
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial 5
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records
Parents: James Charles and Ruth WILSON, Coonamble, New South Wales
Other details War service: Egypt
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Lest we forget
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Detailed information on the Battle of Romani, in particular 4th August, 1916, is found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Romani
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The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 2 September 1916
WILSON - Killed In action in Egypt, between the 4th and 6th August, H. Noel, aged 17 years, only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Wilson (Bandmaster), Coonamble, formerly of Inverell. Thy will be done.
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Find A Grave site:
Birth: unknown
Death: Aug. 4, 1916
Inscription: Australian Light Horse
Note: 2241
Burial:
Kantara War Memorial Cemetery
El-Qantarah el-Sharqiyya
Al Isma'iliyah, Egypt
Plot: B. 36.
Created by: International Wargraves ...
Record added: Mar 14, 2007
Find A Grave Memorial# 18400527
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Australian War Memorial site:
Boy soldiers on the Roll of Honour for the First World War
The following 'boy soldiers' and 'boy sailors' have been identified among the 61,000 names on the Roll of Honour for the First World War.
Trooper Harry Noel Wilson (2241, 6th Australian Light Horse) was a clerk from Coonamble, NSW. His father wrote that he was 16 years 10 months of age when he was killed in action near Et Maler, Egypt on 4 August 1916. He is buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. His uncle Sergeant Harry Wilson was awarded a Military Medal.
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Sbroja, Melanie <Melanie.Sbroja@dva.gov.au>
Mon 16/06/2008 4:35 PM
Dear Robyn
Thank you for your e-mail of 13 June 2008 regarding the burial location of your uncle, the late Trooper Harry Noel Wilson who was killed in action during the First World War.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), who is responsible for the official commemoration of all Commonwealth casualties of the two world wars and the maintenance of those memorials in perpetuity has recorded Trooper Wilson as being buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt, Plot B, Grave no. 36.
In regards to your uncle's burial location I can advise that after the cease of hostilities in World War One the Commonwealth War Graves Commission exhumed the bodies of servicemen from dozens of smaller cemeteries and concentrated them in war cemeteries. In the case of Trooper Wilson I believe he was first buried in the Bir-et-Maler Cemetery and then re-buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
I have on your behalf ordered a photograph of the grave for your uncle. This photograph will be taken by Commonwealth War Graves Commission representatives on their next inspection visit to the cemetery. Unfortunately I am unable to advise a timeframe for this. Once this photograph is received I will forward it to the address you supplied.
I trust this information has been of assistance to you.
Kind regards
Melanie Sbroja
Information Officer
Office of Australian War Graves
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