Henry Alphonsus Torpey was born in 1884 in Limerick, Ireland. He was the youngest son of John and Catherine Torpey. The family emigrated in 1897 and was living at 376 Albert Street, East Melbourne by 1902 when John died. Catherine died in 1907. The children continued to live together in the Albert Street house, and Henry (known as Harry) named his eldest brother, James P Torpey, of that address as his next of kin when he enlisted. Josephine, his sister, was also living there at the time.
Henry enlisted on 9 August 1915. He gave his occupation as railway hand. Later, an In Memoriam notice inserted by his co-workers expanded, citing him as 'late of Victorian Railways, Parcels Office, Central Station'. He was a small man, only 5ft 4.75ins, with dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was appointed to the 8th Field Artillery Brigade and trained firstly at Ascot Vale and then Maribyrnong as part of the Australian Medical Corps. His photo below shows him in uniform with the red cross on his sleeve. He embarked on 20 May 1916 on HMAT Medic bound for Plymouth with the 32nd Battery. He proceeded to France on 30 December 1916 as part of the 108th Howitzer Battery. He was killed in action about sunset on 5 June 1917, the day before the Battle of Messines. An eye witness gave his account:
'Casualty was standing with myself and another man talking, we were wondering if we could go over to the battery postition Ploegsteert Wood, behind the piggery. The Germans had blown us out of our battery position on the Sunday 5th June, and the guns had been taken to the rear of that position. We started for the old position leaving it as late as possible as there was a chance of the Germans not knowing our guns had been sent to the rear and still shelling that position, but had only got about half way when an E.E. shell exploded in the centre of us killing Casualty instantly and Gunner Cumming and Gunner W. Schmidt. Casualty's chief wounds were in the chest. He was buried at the Charing Cross Dressing Station Cemetery. A cross was erected with his name and number on it. I was an eye-witness. He was one of the best men in the battery and was greatly missed by all his mates.'
His service record reports that he was buried at the Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert Wood, 2.25 miles SSW of Messines.
