Harold Robert Lyne COLQUHOUN

Harold Robert Colquhoun was born in 1896 in Fremantle, Western Australia the eldest child and only son of Robert Duncan Colquhoun and his wife Isabel Victoria (Mathews). His sisters were Muriel Irene (1898-1940), Dorothy Agnes (1904-1991) and Flora Louise (1906-1970).

His father, a mining engineer, moved the family around the country due to his employment, finally settling in Far North Queensland. When Harold enlisted on 23 September 1914 he was a schoolteacher at Mareeba and had previously enlisted in the 1st Light Horse.

He enlisted at Rockhampton on 23 September 1914. His mother who was living at Yeppoon gave her written permission to his enlisting.

On his enlistment he was 18 years 1 month, occupation School Teacher and next of kin his father Mr Robert Duncan Colquhoun, Mareeba. His height was, 5 feet 10 inches, weighing 10 stone with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was Presbyterian.

He embarked on the HMAT Ceramic on 22 December 1914 from Melbourne, landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was wounded in action on 29 May that year. Listed as ‘dangerously ill’ he was evacuated to Alexandria, Egypt and remained there until 17 August 1915 when he rejoined his unit at Gallipoli.

Hill 60 (Kaiajik Aghala) commanded the low ground occupied by a thin line of outposts between the Allied forces at Anzac and Suvla. The attack on Hill 60 was the last offensive action undertaken around Anzac by the Allies prior to the evacuation in December 1915.

Harold Robert Lyne Colquhoun was killed in a charge at Hill 60 on 27 August and his memorial is at Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey.