WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| Lieutenant Harry Edmund Shaw | Australian Imperial Force | born 1886 | |
| Research Note | Harry emigrated to Australia in 1914. Copious records exist on the Australian Forces web site. The information below is derived from these papers. In some cases essentially similar papers show some different additional pieces of information. | ||
| Roll of Honour | He is shown on the Bingham roll of honour as having served in New Guinea, Eastern Archipelago, Egypt, Gallipoli and the Western Front. | ||
| Medals | Harry was awarded the 1914/15 Star and the Victory and British medals. The British Army medal cards do not include the Australian forces. | ||
| South Notts Hussars | His attestation paper to join the AIF reveals that he had previously served for five years with the South Notts Hussars and Royal Horse Artillery, in the UK. He had left by purchase. We have been unable to establish dates. Another record shows he was a signalling instructor at Aldershot in 1906-7 | ||
| Australian Naval and Military expedition to German New Guinea | He signed the attestation papers on August 11th 1914. He joined as a
private but became a sergeant next day. His number was 795. He was shown as born in Fleetwood, and aged 28. Had been an articled pupil to Shaw, Son and Hemingway, surveyors, Nottingham. Next of kin: C Pearson Shaw, Surveyor, Bingham, Nottingham |
He was sent to New Guinea on 19th August (on board the troopship Burma). He spent 5 ½ months as a wireless operator on Woodlark Island until January 1915 when he returned to Australia on board the Eastern. The records are marked “Discharged, time expired”. | He was awarded the 1914/15 star after service in New Guinea. |
| Australian Military Services | On 20th April 1915 he applied for a commission. We assume he had already
re-joined the army. Pay book number 159898 He had attended “English Public School: Mountjoy, Dublin” but no dates are given. Military qualifications were listed as South Notts Hussars and Royal Horse Artillery together with 1906/7 Instructor of signalling, Aldershot. His civilian occupation was Architect and Surveyor and date of birth was 25th January 1886. He was a British subject and single. |
He gave two postal addresses. “C” Coy 17 Battalion, Liverpool, NSW. His personal effects were to be sent to Miss M Unwin at The Chestnuts, Kegworth, via Derby, UK. [The family home of his future wife]. Next of kin was C Pearson Shaw, Bingham. |
His Medical certificate showed: Height: 5’ 5½”. Weight 154 lbs. Chest 37½” (39½”) Eyesight good. |
| 1915 | Embarked from Sydney 12/5/1915 on HMAT Thermistocles to serve
in Gallipoli. 10/10/1915 promoted Lieutenant 21/10/15 transferred to hospital suffering from dysentery. 30/10/15 transferred to hospital in Malta by HS Neasa 18/11/15 transferred to hospital in UK by HS Morera. 20/11/15 admitted to 3rd London general Hospital. |
||
| 1916 | 12/1/16 Hospitalised in Weymouth. 24/2/16 To superrnumery list 8/3/16 arrived Alexandria. Transferred to 47th battalion, Ismalia. 17/3/16 transferred to join MEF, disembarked Marseilles 23/3/16. 19/4/16 Seconded to 5th Infantry Brigade Light Trench Mortar batteries. 8/7/16 report of a court martial, charge unspecified, forfeited seniority. 16/6/16 Reported to dressing station with mild dysentery. Diagnosed with Synovitis in right knee.[ occurs when the synovial membrane which lines and lubricates the knee joint, becomes inflamed and swollen]. Transferred via HS Jan Braydel to 3rd London General. Medical discharge notes dated 17th August 1916. |
||
| 1917 | 5/2/1917 At Tidworth 9/7/17. 28/6/17 Court Martial. Charged with drunkenness and striking 2 superior (staff) officers at the Australian Club, Piccadilly 1917 – forfeited 38 days pay 29/7/17 attached to Anzac Provost Corps, Tidworth and Bulford, UK |
||
| 1918 | 14.3.18 transferred from 17th Btn to PSL, posted for duty
as officer i/c guard 6.6.18 detached from duty with Guard to No2 CD Weymouth. (Bulford) 22.8.18 Unfit for active service, posted to OC Guard Bulford 17/4/18 Designated ready to repatriate to Australia. Letter from HQ London to Tidworth to advise Shaw not be sent home on next available ship as planned but on a subsequent sailing. This was provided he could be usefully employed meantime. This was because his wife was expecting to be confined shortly. He had produced evidence of this and that his wife had no friends or family in this country (UK) to help. 4/6/18 Confirmed available to repatriate. Sent to Weymouth to await embarkation. Was on troopship Barunga which was sunk by a submarine on 15-16/7/18. He and several others were “congratulated by GOC for gallant conduct on board troopship Barunga, 15th July 1918”. [The troopship was torpedoed by a German submarine U108 on 15th July in North Atlantic] 18/8/18 He returned to Australia by HS Carpentaria, arrived 4.10.18 His appointment terminated 5/10/18 |
||
Family history etc
| Lieutenant Harry Edmund Shaw | |||
| 1888 | Born Fleetwood, Lancs From marriage certificate and FBMD. (he stated 25 January 1886 on application for commission) |
||
| Census 1891 | Living at 58 Granville Rd., Hoe St., Walthamstow with: Father: Christopher Pearson Shaw, b. 1852 Kendal, Cumberland Mother: Alice Spicer Shaw, b. 1853 Levens, Cumberland Siblings: James A, b.1873 Preston, Lancs Richard C, b.1875 Fleetwood Ada, b. 1879 Fleetwood Maggie, b.1881 Blackpool Helena, b. 1883 Christopher Pearson, b. 1884 Fleetwood, Lancs Hilda; b.1886 Walthamstow, Essex Eva, b.1890 Walthamstow, Essex |
Architect and Surveyor Architect’s assistant Clerk |
|
| Census 1901 | Living at 22 Russell St., Nottingham with: Father, Christopher Pearson Shaw Mother Alice Spicer Shaw Siblings: Alice M Christopher Pearson Hilda Eva John Beetham, b 1886 Walthamstow, Essex AND Aunt-in-law: Sarah Hiscock aged 41 |
Architect and Quantity Surveyor Surveyor’s pupil |
|
| Dates unknown | Public School, Mountjoy, Dublin | From application form for commission. | |
| Census 1911 | Living at “Eskdale”, Long Acre, Bingham, with: Father: Christopher Pearson Shaw Mother: Alice Spicer Shaw Siblings: Christopher Pearson Eva John Beetham AND Visitor: Maria Unwin, b. 1855 |
County Council Surveyor Architect and Quantity Surveyor Architect and Quantity Surveyor Elementary Teacher Certified Head Teacher |
|
| 1917 | 3rd April, married Alma Constance Wade at Fulham, age given as 29 years,
she 23 years. Both gave address as 2 Chaucer Mansions, Queens Club Gardens, Fulham |
His occupation: Lieutenant Australian forces and Surveyor. | His father: Christopher Pearson Shaw, architect Her father: Percy Montague Wade, hotel proprietor |
| 1923 Police Gazette |
In December his house at Eskdale, Long bay Road, Marouba Bay, Sydney was burgled. War medals, clothes, a Mauser pistol, a set of drawing instruments and 50 gramophone records were stolen. | Note house name same as at Bingham. | |
| 1925 | Police Gazette Burglary from the same address 24th Dec 1925. Woman’s head cameo brooch and silk pyjamas were stolen. | ||
| 1927 | Police Gazette Burglary from the same address 9 Jan 1927.
Boy’s silver watch, clothes, medals, field glasses. Also stuff belonging to James Hamilton, residing there. |
||
| 1928 Sydney Morning Herald |
Shaw Divorce Sydney Morning Herald 5 December 1928 Harry petitioned for a decree of restitution of conjugal rights to be directed to Alma Constance Shaw (formerly Wade), m April 3 1917 at Fulham Registry Office. Respondent did not appear and he was granted decree ordering her to return to the petitioner within 21 days. The NSW State Archives lists a set of divorce papers for Harry Edmund Shaw, Alma Constance Shaw and Albert Herjean. The date range was 20-21 February 1928. The December action would imply the case failed. |
||
| 1929 | 3rd September, embarked unaccompanied at London for Sydney, Australia on SS “Barrabool”. Address c/o Australia House, Strand, London WC2. Surveyor aged 41. | Australia address is 8 Spring St. Sydney | Unable to locate original voyage out or voyage back to UK before 1929 voyage. |
| 1930 | On electoral roll for Darlinghurst, East Sydney, Australia. Fairmount, Royston St., Quantity surveyor | Wife not listed. In 1930 Alma Constance Shaw was listed as a shopkeeper in Castlevernon, Whistler Street, Wharingah. In 1933 she was undertaking home duties at 312 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. Interestingly this is five minutes’ walk from Royston Street. In 1935 she was at 32 Belmore Road, Watson, undertaking home duties. Harry is not listed in any of the above. |
|
| 1934 Sydney Morning Herald | February 21st: Obituary, Harry Edmund Shaw Educated at Dublin and London. Architect, Builder and Quantity Surveyor in England before leaving for Australia in 1914. Enlisted at the outbreak of war and distinguished himself, being mentioned in dispatches during the early fighting in Rabaul New Guinea. He served also as a captain of the 17th battalion at Gallipoli and in France, where he was seriously wounded. While returning to Australia on a hospital ship the vessel was torpedoed near Brest, off the French coast. He was rescued by a British destroyer. For many years he had an extensive practice as a quantity surveyor. During recent years he has been engaged as foreman for the construction branch of the Public works department and in this capacity built schools at Darlinghurst and Griffith and additions to the National Art Gallery. He is survived by a second Mrs Shaw, one son and one daughter. [We do not know if this is Alma Constance or whether they did divorce and this is the second Mrs Shaw] |
||
| From Australian War Memorial web site |  Harry is top left on group photo |
 |
|
| Mar 20th 1934 | [see The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser
27/3/34] Killed by the collapse of a balcony at Tamworth Hospital, Sydney |
||