Harold Willmott EARDLEY

Harold Willmott Eardley was born in Sydney, NSW, in 1891, the second son of Thomas Robert Eardley and Mary Stedham.  He also had two sisters.  His father was an engineer and they moved north to Cairns after spending time in Charters Towers.

Harold was living in Rockhampton in 1913 and enlisted on 17 September 1915.  He gave his age as 24 years 7 months, his occupation a Labourer and named his mother, Mary of Sheridan Street, Cairns as his next of kin.  His height was 5 feet 5 1/2 inches, weighed 10 stone 7 pounds with dark complexion, brownish eyes, dark brown hair. His religion was Church of England and his address was Railway Boarding House, Mt Morgan.

At the same time as Harold enlisted, his father, Thomas, was making his own contribution to the war.  He organized the making of walking sticks for the wounded soldiers, made form Silky Oak from North Queensland.  The sticks were sold for 1/- but all funds were for a double benefit, to be returned for distribution amongst the wounded men here and at the Dardanelles, while the sum realised by their sale went to swell the Patriotic fund, a movement that was set up for the returned soldiers.

Harold never made it overseas.  He died in Brisbane General Hospital on 1 November 1915 from pneumonia following measles and is buried in the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane.