George Howard

Name   George Howard

Number    Private 6515

Battalion      7^th Battalion  

Place of Birth   Scotsburn

Next of Kin   His wife May Victoria Howard of Leongatha

Date and place of enlistment   Leongatha 30/3/1916

Physical details on enlistment Age 41 years 8 months, 5’ 5” 12 stone 2 pounds, blue eyes and light brown hair

Religion   Presbyterian

Occupation   Driver

Date and place of death

Drowned in a creek at Leongatha on 15/9/1919 after he returned from the war.

Location of grave or memorial

He was buried in the Leongatha Cemetery on 18/9/1919

Relationship to Woorayl Shire

He and his family lived in Leongatha

Military History

• 30/3/16 He enlisted Leongatha
• 2/10/16 He embarked Melbourne on HMAT Nestor
• 18/11/16 He disembarked Plymouth
• 10/4/17 Proceeded overseas from Folkstone
• 19/4/17 He was with his unit
• 21/5/17 He was in hospital in France
• 29/5/17 He joined his Battalion
• 2/6/17 He went to duty
• 19/2/18 He was transferred to the 1^st Australian Division Salvage corps
• 15/3/18 He went on leave to England
• 1/1/18 He returned from leave
• 24/4/19 He went to England from Le Harve
• 25/4/19 He disembarked South Hampton
• 5/9/19 Arrived home on the Prinz Ludwig
• 15/9/19 He was found drowned in a Leongatha creek.
• 18/9/19 He was buried in Leongatha
• 16/9/1921 His wife May received the scroll. plaque
• 11/2/1923 She received his plaque
• 5/4/1923 She received his Victory Medal
• He has an invalid report
• George did not meet the initial recruitment criteria set in 1914 in that he was too old and did not meet the minimum height of 5’6″ (he was only 5’5″ tall). By the time he enlisted in 1916, however, the recruitment criteria had been relaxed and the Army apparently turned a blind eye to his adjusted age.
• Many descendants of his brother Jim Howard live in the area