Henry Penghana Douglas, known as Harry, was born in Queenstown Tasmania,
the son of Archibald and Helen Douglas. A fitter, he embarked Hobart
20th October 1914 Tasmania on board “HMAT Geelong” with the 12th
Infantry Battalion.
He returned to Australia 12th April 1916 and
died 13th January 1919 at Brighton Junction as a result of injuries
received on the Gallipoli Peninsula and was buried in the Queenstown
Cemetery Tasmania.
His brother,
Charles, was killed in action
in France and his brother, William
Keith was a chaplain..
FUNERAL OF THE LATE H P DOUGLAS
There was a
very large number of mourners at the funeral on Wednesday afternoon last
of ex Private H. P. (Harry) Douglas late of the original 12th Battalion
AIF who died recently at Brighton Junction as a result of injuries
received during the operations in Gallipoli where he took part in the
historic landing and was wounded shortly afterward.
He was
invalided home to Tasmania where for over four years he has been on
crutches portion of the time under Dr Ramsay of Launceston and more
recently under Dr L Crowther of Hobart. For some considerable time past
the young soldier has been in very bad health and his cousin, Miss
O’Connor, went through from Queenstown to Brighton Junction to nurse
him. Despite all the care of doctors and nurses he passed peacefully
away on the 13th instant and his mortal remains were brought around to
Queenstown for internment in the old cemetery where his mother, wife of
our council clerk was laid to rest over twenty years ago.
The
funeral cortege left the railway station headed by the Queenstown Brass
Band which played “The dead man in Saul” and followed by nearly a
hundred returned soldiers, senior and junior cadets, brethren of the
Manchester Unity Lodge of which last named society deceased had been a
vigorous officer. After these came the hearse, in which the coffin was
draped with the Union Jack while six members of his old battalion (the
golden 12th) marched as pallbearers. Then followed a mourning coach in
which the deceased’s elder brother, the Reverend Wm Keith Douglas M.C. ,
his cousin Miss O’Connor and the Venerable Archdeacon Richard deceased’s
father walking behind the vehicle.
A progression of over
250 persons followed consisting of the Warden and Councillors, Mr R C
Sticht (Gen Manager of the Mt Lyell Company) Mr E C Driffield
(superintendent engineer of railways) Mr G W Wright (chief engineer) and
many other heads of department and employees generally of the Mt Lyell
Company by which, prior to the war he had been employed. Practically
every section of the community was represented whilst many Gormanston
friends (including numerous returned soldiers) paid the last tribute of
respect to the memory of their comrade.
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