Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage

Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage was born in Norwood on 11 of November 1894. He was the eldest son of Henry James and Martha Elizabeth Armitage who were living on Edsall Street at the time of his birth. From a young age he was nicknamed ‘Rollo’ and his father, Henry Armitage, was the head teacher at Millicent Public School.

Harold was educated at Houghton Public School (in the Adelaide Hills), the Adelaide School of Mines and also Adelaide High School. After graduating at Adelaide High School he entered the University of Adelaide in 1914 with his father’s employment obviously rubbing off onto him. He started undertaking a bachelor of arts degree specialising in English and History whilst also taking up a degree in education at the Adelaide Teachers Training College. Harold, however, took a leave of absence from his university studies from 1 of January, 1915 onwards until his services with the AIF were complete. Unfortunately, however, Harold Armitage would never return to teaching.

Whilst his educational studies were still in progress Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage also began working as a junior school teacher at the school house in Millicent with his father.

Harold played with the Adelaide University Cricket Club in the 1914/15 season. 

Harold enlisted on 16 February 1915 and landed on Gallipoli as a reinforcement of the 10th Battalion on 2 June 1915. He was then transferred to the 50th Battalion on 26 February 1916. For his work in the battle for Pozieres as CO ‘C’ Company, he was Mentioned in Dispatches by Sir Douglas Haig “for leading his men on the night of 12 and 13 August 1916.” On 2 April 1917, during the 50th Battalion’s attack on Noreuil, he was shot and killed.