FALKINGHAM, Henry

Henry Falkingham was born in 18813 at Tallarook, Victoria, the son of Henry Falkingham and hsi wife, Mary Elizabeth, nee Bolin. By 1915, he was 33 years old, married to Ethel Maud Levin since 1905 and had a job described on his embarkation roll as an 'Electrical Insulation Worker'. His job changed frequently over his lifetime: he was a labourer, a miner and a traveller  at various stages. He may well have grown up in East Melbourne, as he was referred to as an old friend in Fred Biddle's letters home, along with Joe Pearce, Arthur Harbeck and Ern Fairlie. By the time he enlisted, his mother was a widow, running a boarding house at 480 Albert St., East Melbourne. On his embarkation roll, this is the address given for his wife, Ethel, in 1915, as well as his address for part of 1919 on his return, before they moved to 221 Nicholson St., Carlton.

Henry was the older brother of William Charles Falkingham, who enlisted on 17 September, 1914, aged 18, and served with the 3rd Field Ambulance at Gallipoli, then in Egypt, and on the Western Front with the Advanced Base Medical Corps. William was younger than Henry by some thirteen years and it may have been his example which spurred the older man into enlisting.

Henry Falkingham enlisted on 19 July, 1915, and embarked for overseas service on HMAT Wiltshire on 7 March, 1916. From Melbourne, they went to Fremantle, where he went AWOL, failing ot re-embark. He finally left Western Australia on board HMAT Seang Bec on 18 July and was charged with the offence on disembarkation in England. Found guilty, he was given 168 hours of detention and fined 9 days' pay. He disembarked in England on 9 September and was given leave, but again, overstayed his leave by three days, for which he was given 168 hours detention and a total forfeit of nine days' pay. From England, he was sent to France to rejoin his Battalion on 14 October, but was almost immediately ill and admitted to No. 2 Base Hospital, Etaples. He was finally taken on strength with the 28th Battalion on 11 November, 1916. Afer a week in the trenches, he was ill again, and taken to a Field Ambulance station, then transferred to the 39th General Hospital with Myalgia, before being again discharged to base at Etaples. 

A medical report from November, 1816, at Flers (Fromelles) stated: Was in hospital at Le Havre with acute rheumatism which he contracted whilst in line. Was out for about 14 days and was sent to 26th General Hospital. Rejoined unit and after Bullecourt was boarded and sent ot Rouen and thence to England. Heart 'soft systolic murmur at apex'.

From here, he went to the Australian Divisional Base Depot on 28 November, but was again in hospital only four days later, this time to the 26th General Hospital. He was in hospital a month, before being released for service at the 2nd ADBD at Havre on 3 January, 1917. Here he was again in trouble on a charge of drunkenness and given 21 days Field Punishment, finally rejoining his battalion on 26 March. This time, he was with the Battalion for six weeks, then again in hospital, admitted first to the 7th Field Ambulance with rheumatism on 15 may, discharged to duty on 28 May, rejoining the battalion on 29 May, then on 26 June, admitted to the 56th Field Ambulance with 'mitral bruit'. He had multiple health problems, the most prominent being valvular disease of the heart and rheumatism. He was transferred back to England and admitted on 29 June to the 1st London General Hospital. On 10 August, he left hospital to march in to the No. 2 Command Depot at Perham Downs. He was again on a charge of being AWL, this time from hospital over the period 7 June - 31st July, 1917  and was subsequently fined 8 days'  pay. By this time, he was considered to be ' permanently unfit for general service, but fit for home service'.

On 21 September, 1917, Henry Falkingham moved to the No. 4 Command Depot, then embarked from Weymouth for Australia on  HMAT Thermistocles, disembarking at Melbourne on 31 December, 1917. The medical report submitted on 19 January 1918 read 'History of being knocked out after Bullecourt in last May and since not fit for duty. A.B. in sixth rib, first sound poor and murmerish. Rapid and regular. Some syrivical cirtitus (?) both knees. Own treatment 6 weeks.'  He was discharged from further service on 26 April, 1918, on the grounds of being medically unfit. Another report, on 2/4/18, said 'Incapacity: total' and another read 'Permanent Medical Referee Board No. 3 recommends discharged as permanently unfit.'

There are only a few glimpses of him after the war. On 4 August, 1928, he wrote to the army authorities from Mitta Mitta, NSW, stating that his wife Ethel 'neglected the home ... also had another man at the house ... she left my home some four years ago and since then has been causing a lot of trouble everywhere. I am instituting divorce proceedings whn I return to Melbourne.'

Then, on 5 February, 1957, some forty years after the war he wrote again ' when I was in No.1 London General Hospital, my mother cabled over 25 pounds which I never received. This would be handy now as I am T.P.I. (totally or partially incapacitated) and 73 years old.' 

Henry Falkingham died at Heidelberg in 1965.