The Battle of Fromelles was fought in northern France on 19/20th July 1916. It has been described as the worst 24 hours in Australian Military history because of the horrific number of casualties (5,0000) in such a short period of time. Regimental No 983 Pte Harry Willis was one of the diggers who fought and died in this battle.
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Harry was a farm labourer who grew up in the South Gippsland area of Victoria on a farmlet near Alberton. He Enlisted at the age of 19 at Yarram on 14th July 1915. He was posted to the 31st Battalion, a part of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division. After training in Egypt he was deployed with the Battalion to the western Front in Northern France not far from the Belgian Border. It was here that the 5th Division, with very little preparation, was, within days, disastrously plunged into the Battle of Fromelles.
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One of the things that Harry carried with him into battle was a medal issued by the Shire of Alberton and this was to become a key means of identifying that an Australian soldier was buried in unmarked grave pit along with 250 others. This grave pit was adjacent to Pheasant Wood on the German side of the line where bodies had been collected by German burial parties in the aftermath of the battle. These missing bodies lay undetected for almost 100 years after the tragic battle.
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The search for the missing soldiers from the battle of Fromelles has featured in a number of articles on this website. These articles can be retrieved by typing the name Lambis Englezos in the search Bar of this website. Lambis is the prime researcher and motivator who over many years of persistent effort was responsible for locating Harry Willis and the other missing 250 soldiers from the battle.
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More recently at the behest of the Military Historical Society Of Australia, Lambis also delivered an interesting lecture at the Gaythorne RSL Brisbane (19th February 2026) outlining the processes, battles and struggles he undertook to provide some final dignity for these missing diggers.
A boyish Looking Harry Willis after Enlisting
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The Alberton Medal – Issued to Harry Willis by the Shire of Alberton – Found at the
Pheasant Wood Grave Pits – Proof Positive that The Bodies Found Were Australian
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A more complete story of Harry Willis has been written by Tim Whitford who is a descendent of the Willis family. The story is included on the website of The Fromelles Association of Australia Story. A link is provided below.
Link To Fromelles Association Of Australia Site Featuring Harry Willis