Henry Dodd (1888 - 1942)

Ancestors

Biography

Anzacs on Wikitree

Harry Dodd was born on 30 April 1888 in Ipswich, Queensland. ^{[1] [2]} He was the son of Henry James Dodd, a civil servant with the Railway Department and his wife Julia Dodd, nee Harrington. ^[3]

When he enlisted in the AIF in Sydney on 12 Feb 1916, Harry was a clerk and surveyor's assistant. He was 5 ft 9 & 1/2 in tall, with fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He had previously been rejected by the AIF because of his teeth. He was a Private (No 16124) but on 27 Apr 1916 he was made Lance Cpl with 6/4 Pioneers. On 01 Sep 1916 he became a Sapper with the Field Engineers.

He embarked at Sydney with the Engineer Reinforcements on the A 29 "Suevic" on 11 Nov 1916, disembarking in Devonport, England on 30 Jan 1917. He proceeded to France on 05 Sep 1917 and joined 6th Field Coy Engineers in Belgium on 20 Oct 1917.

He returned to Australia from England on the "Lancashire" on 07 Feb 1919, disembarking in Australia on 24 Mar 1919. He was discharged in Brisbane, Queensland on 12 May 1919. ^{[2] [4]}

For his Word War 1 service he is honoured on the Townsville West State School Memorial Gate. ^[5]

Harry had lived in the New Guinea Territory from 1926. He married Alys Marjorie Maunsell in Rabaul in about 1930. There were no children.

Harry was an accountant in the New Guinea administration. He was captured at Kokopo, near Rabaul when the Japanese invaded in Jan 1942, and interned as a civilian prisoner.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942.

He has a memorial in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} FindAGrave: database and images, memorial page for Sapper Henry “Harry” Dodd; Born: 30 Apr 1888 Ipswich, Queensland; Died: 1 Jul 1942 At Sea; Cemetery: Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; Find A Grave: Memorial #115968210; created by: John Winterbotham; accessed: 31 Mar 2024
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} World War 1 Service: Veteran Details for Harry Dodd for Service with the Australian Imperial Force. Regimental Number: 16124; Rank: Sapper; Unit: November 1916 Reinforcements; Enlistment Date: 12 Feb 1916; Returned to Australia 7 February 1919 Link to UNSW AIF Project Record: accessed 31 Mar 2024
3. ↑ Queensland Birth Registration Index: The State of Queensland, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, index entry for Henry Dodd; Birth date: 30 Apr 1888; Father: Henry James Dodd; Mother: Julia Harrington; Registration Number: 1888/C/4983; Birth Location: Queensland; Link to Record 1888/C/4983; accessed 31 Mar 2024
4. ↑ National Archives Australia World War 1 Australian Imperial Force Service Record: National Archives Australia: 3510395 accessed 31 Mar 2024
5. ↑ Virtual War Memorial Australia: Veteran Details for Harry Dodd; Service Number: 16124; Birth Date: 30 Apr 1888; Birth Location: Ipswich, Queensland; Enlistment Date: 12 Feb 1916; Enlistment Location: Brisbane, Queensland; Unit: 6th Field Company, Australian Imperial Force, World War I VWMA link; accessed 31 Mar 2024

• Death Form - National Archives of Australia - Defence - General - Information of deaths for persons lost on the MONTEVIDEO MARU - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=102239&S=54
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3173259/henry-dodd/