Portrait of 870 Pte Harold Gabriel
2023.2.1
870 Harold "Kewpie" Gabriel, Driver 10th Battalion
Name/Title
Portrait of 870 Pte Harold GabrielEntry/Object ID
2023.2.1Description
Fibre-based print of Australian soldier, 870 Private Harold GABRIEL. Clearly visible on his left shoulder is a 10th Battalion unit patch and a bronze "AUSTRALIA" badge.Photograph Details
Type of Photograph
Gelatin Print - silver bromideSubject
Private Harold "Kewpie" Gabriel was born in Adelaide, South Australia on November 1892, to Salem and Mary Gabriel. A cabinetmaker by trade, Harold enlisted shortly after the declaration of war in 1914, signing his Attestation Papers on August 31 1914 at Morphetville and posted to the 10th Battalion A.I.F. "D" Company. After initial training, he embarked for England on the transport ship A11 Ascanius on 20 October 1914, before commencing further training in preparation for service in Egypt and Gallipoli. Private Gabriel landed with the first contingent at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 and remained on the peninsula until he was wounded on September 18 1915. Described as "slight", the gunshot wound (GSW) to his left heel, resulted in him being evacuated to the hospital ship Maheno, before being transported to St. Elmo Hospital in Malta where he remained until October 22 1915. He then embarked for England on H.S. Oxfordshire, and was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, St Charles College, Chelsea. Harold was later transferred to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital, before being discharged on June 2 1916 on furlough. A consequence of this "slight" GSW, saw Harry "Invalided to Australia for 6 months Change" on June 24 1916. His voyage home was aboard the H.T. Euripides, which docked at Port Melbourne, Victoria in early August 1916. This injury would eventually see 870 Driver Harold Gabriel being discharged, due to him being medically unfit for service, on January 25 1917. However, his story does not end here; Harold felt so strongly about serving his country, he re-enlisted on May 22 1918, and was posted to B Company. Two weeks later however, he was handed his discharge papers on medical grounds for the second, and final time. While injury may have ended Harold's military service, it did not stop him returning to playing football in the SANFL Patriotic League, where he would play 14 home-and-away games and three finals in its last season. The normal football season resumed in 1919, and Harry joined Norwood, and despite his solid efforts, for the fourth season in a row, the club would finish bottom of the table. Alongside four other survivors from the 10th Battalion football team (George Beames, Claude Toovey and Bob Rayney, of Norwood, and Broken Hill stalwart George Colley), he would make his next appearance in the first Anzac Day holiday match at Adelaide Oval, on 26 April 1920, between the 10th Battalion and the 27th Battalion. A youth policy was embraced by Norwood in 1921, and Kewpie was cleared to return to West Adelaide playing as a wingman for one more season, before retiring. His final tally of games: West Adelaide 10, with 12 games at Norwood. After the war, Driver Harold Gabriel worked at the Parkside Mental Hospital for almost 25 years, before his sudden death on 25 September 1945; he was aged just 52. He was survived by his widow, his mother, four sisters and two brothers, one of whom also served with the A.I.F. His gravesite is located at the following location: Catholic/Path 10/699B, at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, South Australia.Subject Person or Organization
Harold GabrielSubject Place
City
AdelaideState/Province
South AustraliaCountry
AustraliaContinent
OceaniaCategory
Badge, Photograph, Silver gelatin photograph, Military Uniform, War Memorabilia