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John Harry Fletcher, known as Harry, was born on March 25, 1893 at Kamarooka to Robert Henry (known as “Old Grey Bob”, the headmaster of Sydney Flat school) and Annie Fletcher, nee Harry.
Like his father, and sister, Annie, Harry became a teacher. He enlisted on March 8, 1915, and was issued service number 1057.
Harry embarked on May 8, 1915, aboard HMAT Euripides and served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Belgium and France.
Harry was killed in action at Montbrehain in one of the last battles that Aussie servicemen fought on French soil.
He had been commissioned as a captain on March 1, 1917, and was killed on October 5, 1918.
Harry’s best mate was Austin Mahony. The mates enlisted on the same day, embarked together, took leave together whenever possible and lost their lives in the service of their king and country after being wounded on the same day.
Harry's wounds proved fatal and Austin died four days later, although some reports list October 5, 1918, for both men's death.
Harry is remembered at Calvaire Cemetery, Montbrehain, France. The cemetery takes its name from a crucifix standing near its south-west corner and was designed by W.H. Cowlishaw.
It contains the graves of 71 casualties of World War I, 16 of whom are unidentified.
Montbrehain is a village in the north-western sector of the Department of the Aisne, 10km south-west of Bohain on the D28.
It was taken on October 3, 1918, by three battalions of the Sherwood Foresters of the 46th Division, but it could not be held at the time; it was finally captured by the 21st and 24th Australian Infantry Battalions two days later.
Annie Fletcher married a returned serviceman, Corporal Roland Raphael Nancarrow. Ray, as he was known, enlisted on July 23, 1915, and served in Egypt and France with the 6th Battalion.
He was gassed and suffered from shell-shock. He returned to Australia on December 20, 1918, and was discharged on March 16, 1919.
Ray died in 1987 aged 93 and Annie in 2004.
At the the of her death, Annie was the region's oldest woman.
Bendigo Advertiser Tuesday, October 29, 1918, Family Notices:
For Freedom's Cause.
FLETCHER – Officially reported killed in action in France on October 5, Captain J. Harry Fletcher, B Company, 24th Battalion, aged 25 years, after three-and-a-half years' service.
Dearly beloved second son of Mr and Mrs R.H. Fletcher (Eaglehawk), grandson of Mrs J. Harry (Bendigo), brother of Edie, Mrs M. J. Hocking (Tandara), Rob (Pakenham Upper), Annie, Tom, Allan, dear little Jean, and bosom friend of Captain Mahony, A Coy, 24th Batt., killed same day.
Bendigo Advertiser,Friday, November 1, 1918:
THE TWO CAPTAINS. "IN DEATH THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED.''
In last Saturday's Advertiser were notices of the deaths in action on October 5 of two captains of the 24th Battalion – Harry Fletcher and Austin Mahony.
Bosom friends were these young Australians. Thrown together in their common boardinghouse in Melbourne in pre-war days, they soon discovered a kinship of spirit that united them as David and Jonathan.
Each with a quiet but deep religious strain in his nature. On Sundays they would set out together, branching off, one to the Methodist Church, one to the Roman Catholic, meeting again on the homeward walk.
When war's loud tocsin sounded its alarm it woke them "from dreaming in the dawning of their day" and early in 1915 they enlisted, vowing to be comrades through thick and thin unto the death.
From that time, with ever-increasing admiration of each other's manly qualities, they passed through Broadmeadows, Egypt, Gallipoli, France and Belgium by the way of Lone Pine, the evacuation, Pozieres, Bullecourt, and many a minor engagement, never separated save when Turk or Hun interfered. In their letters home "the bravest of the brave'' was their mutual expression, and Austin Mahony was as well known at Eaglehawk and Harry Fletcher at Hansonville as though, instead of being in different parts of Victoria, their homes were next door.
While little Mona in her evening prayers would ever remember her soldier brother's pal, Captain Fletcher, little Jean at Eaglehawk reciprocated, both sending kisses galore to the little one's brother and his friend.
In a posthumous note of September 9 last from Aldershot, Harry tells how he had spent the weekend with Austin on leave in London, how highly elated was the family of their host at having two Aussie officers as guests, how they had set out as of old on Sunday, he with the family to Kirk and Austin to his church and what a glorious evening of song had followed.
As the awful years rolled on from the ranks the lads rose step by step (the younger always a rung below the elder), until at 24 Austin was captain in A Company and Harry at, 25 in B Company, senior captain of the famous 24th Battalion.
Then came the tragic and pathetic day when the blow fell, followed by the dread message flashed under the sea and over the land to two stricken homes: "Officially reported Captain J. H. Fletcher killed in action, 5/10/18", and "Officially, reported Captain K. A. Mahony killed in action, 5/10/18.''
Verily these sons of Australia, clean in body, brain and spirit, were pleasant and lovely in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. But death has no dominion over them.
In the Father's House, in hearts of loved ones left behind and in the memories of all in their native land who value self-sacrifice unto death for the general weal will these and their fellows live for aye.
Informal group portrait of three officers of the 24th Battalion (pictured).
Identified from left to right: Captain John Harry Fletcher, of Eaglehawk, Victoria; Lieutenant Joseph Lindley Scales, of Mitta Mitta, Victoria; and Captain John Austin Mahony (Mahoney), of Hansonville, Victoria.
Captain Fletcher enlisted on March 8, 1915, as a private and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Euripides with A Company, 24th Battalion, on May 10, 1915. He was commissioned as a captain on 1 March 1917.
He was killed in action on October 5, 1918, in France.
Scales enlisted on February 1, 1915, and embarked with the service number 1738 and the rank of sergeant from Melbourne with the 2nd Reinforcements aboard HMAT Demosthenes on July 16, 1915. He was awarded the Military Medal on May 11, 1917. He was commissioned as a lieutenant on April 17, 1917, and awarded the Distinguished Service order on November 26, 1917.
He returned to Australia on July 4, 1919.
Mahony enlisted on March 8, 1915, as a private with the service number 1056 and embarked from Melbourne with A Company, aboard HMAT Euripides on May 10, 1915. He was commissioned as a lieutenant on November 10, 1915, with the Army Engineers and was awarded the Military Cross on October 20, 1916.
He was promoted to captain on May 23, 1918, and died of his wounds on October 9, 1918, in France.
Source: Bev Hanson
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