Herbert James HASLAM

Regimental number1390
Place of birthMelbourne, Victoria
ReligionMethodist
OccupationBank teller
Address676 Rathdown Street, North Carlton, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation25
Height5' 6.25"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinFather, Thomas Herbert Haslam, 676 Rathdown Street, North Carlton, Victoria
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date2 August 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll15 July 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentActing Corporal
Unit name29th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/46/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on 10 November 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll29th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of burialFromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France
Commemoration details
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
115
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Melbourne, 10 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 7 December 1915.

Taken on strength, 29th Bn, Serapeum, 18 January 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Reported missing, 19-20 July 1916.

'Identification Disc received from Germany. No particulars afforded except that the soldier is deceased. To be reported as KILLED IN ACTION FRANCE 19.7.16.'

Handwritten note on Form B103: 'Believed buried in vicinity of Fleurbaix Sh 36'.

Note on Red Cross File No 1290505: 'The above name appeared on German death list dated 4-11-16'.

Statement, 1363 G.L. BAILOR, 29th Bn, 12 February 1917: 'We went over the top at Fleurbaix on the evening of the 19th July. We took the first and second line of German trenches and held them for 12 hours when we were driven out owing to want of ammunition and lack of water. O'Donnell, Breguet and Haslam were all reported as missing after the attack. A lot of our men were killed and wounded by machine gun fire behind the German front line. Parties went out for the next two or three nights between our lines and the German front line collecting discs off the bodies but no discs belonging to the above were found.'

Second statement, 317 Pte O'SHANNESY, 29th Bn, 3 November 1916: 'I saw him blown to pieces by a bomb in a German trench at Fromelles on the morning of the 20th. We had got into a dummy trench and he was killed as we were coming back from it to the first line. I was close to him.'

Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 1), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2011) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, HASLAM Herbert James
Red Cross file 1290505