The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (5923) Corporal Harold Paul Verdon, 21st Battalion, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Gerard Pratt, the story for this day was on (5923) Corporal Harold Paul Verdon, 21st Battalion, AIF, First World War.

5923 Corporal Harold Paul Verdon, 21st Battalion, AIF
KIA: 4 September 1918

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Harold Paul Verdon.

Harold Verdon was born in 1897 to Stephen and Bridget Verdon of Victoria. His mother owned a green grocer’s in Mirboo North for 30 years, and was considered “the mother of the town”. She was Harold’s sole parent from the age of about eight, as his father was an alcoholic who left the family. Harold was the second youngest of nine sons, and had also had a sister. He was educated at the local state school in Mirboo North, and went on to work as a clerk in the local post office.

Harold was the second of four brothers to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force, doing so a month before his nineteenth birthday in January 1916. His training in Australia seems to have been delayed by sickness, and by the time he was getting ready to depart for overseas service, his brother James had joined the artillery. Harold went into the infantry, joining the same battalion as his older brother William, the 21st. In August the two went home for a visit together in uniform, and were later sent overseas a month apart, Harold leaving in October and James in late November.

As soon as Private Harold Verdon arrived in England, he sought information about his brother William. Initially hearing that the 6th Brigade had suffered heavy casualties, he wrote, “I thought perhaps Will had been wounded and sent to England. AIF headquarters, however, told me that Will was still going strong.” Harold took leave in London, making the most of his time visiting the theatre and other attractions, and later wrote home that “the people here cannot do enough for the Australians”.

Private Harold Verdon was sent to France to join his battalion in February 1917. However, instead of having the joyful reunion with his brother Will that he was hoping for, he discovered that Will had been killed in action just a few days before Christmas. After a few months in France he was able to write home to say, “You will be pleased to hear that I found Will’s grave … I will send you a photo of it in about a fortnight.” Harold and his brother James decided not to try to get into each other’s units in case a single battle saw them both killed, but they managed to write to and visit each other reasonably regularly.

In early 1917 the 21st Battalion took part in the vicious fighting around the French village of Bapaume. Harold wrote, “I have been in the firing line rather continuously of late. Our brigade was the first to reoccupy the town of Bapaume. We had a bit of a stunt with Fritz last week in capturing [a] village… [and] I was fortunate enough to get through it safely. I got a bullet through the breeches, but it never touched my leg.”

In May 1917 Harold Verdon was promoted to lance corporal, but shortly afterward fell ill and was sent to England, suffering from trench fever. He rejoined his battalion on the Western Front in November 1917, and was promoted to full corporal a few months later. He was a popular member of his company, and a keen participant in any battalion sports competition he could find.

In April 1918, the 21st Battalion was drawn into the desperate fight to stop advancing German infantry during their Spring Offensive. From that point the battalion would go on to participate in the answering British Offensive which became known as “the Hundred Days” and would lead to the end of the war. The 21st Battalion would suffer so many casualties that by the time it was withdrawn from the front line in October it could barely muster a single company.

On 30 August 1918 the 2nd Australian Division attacked and captured the key position of Mont St. Quentin, near the town of Peronne. The 21st Battalion was in close reserve to this operation, and took part in the fighting as the division pushed on towards Peronne. At some point in the fighting, probably on 2 September 1918, Corporal Harold Verdon was hit in the abdomen by enemy machine-gun fire. He was taken to a first aid post, but died after only a few minutes there.

Lieutenant Colonel Duggan wrote to Mrs. Verdon in Australia: “It is difficult for me to say all that can be said of the winning ways and passive strength and beauty of your son’s character. He was beloved by all. As a soldier he was gallant unto death. In all operations since your son joined the battalion he has shown indomitable courage; and at sports and in the daily routine he often came under my notice for his cheerful and kindly disposition.”

Today Corporal Harold Verdon lies in the Hem Farm Military Cemetery, just across the river from where he was killed, under the simple inscription “RIP.” He was 21 years old.
His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Corporal Harold Paul Verdon, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section