Prospect brothers Herman and Harold Black stepped up to fight for their country in World War I but had very different endings

TWO brothers went to World War I, but only one would return. The other lies in an unknown grave.

24/02/15 - Annette Chigros's grandfather Herman Black and great uncle Harrold Black (pictured) fought in World War I. Her grandfather returned and passed on his story to his family, but Harrold never got the chance, he was killed at Gallipoli. Picture Dean Martin

BROTHERS Herman and Harold Black were barely adults when they decided it was their duty to fight for king, country and empire.

One returned to raise a large family. The other lies somewhere on the Gallipoli heights; he has no known grave.

Herman, 23, and Harold, 19, both born in Prospect, quickly answered the nation’s call when war broke out in 1914.

Posted to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Herman fought at Gallipoli and Palestine.

He survived to return to his job as a saddler, married and had seven children.

Harold was not so lucky.

Harold’s 10th Battalion stormed ashore in the opening hours of the landing at Anzac Cove.

Two months later his father Edward received a telegram saying his son was missing.

There was a mystery surrounding his death as official records stated he was killed on Gallipoli’s first day.

But later a witness came forward with a statement to the Red Cross of how he was standing one man away from Harold when he was killed – in June.

“Somewhere about the end of June near Shrapnel Gully, Anzac, our company was advancing against the Turkish trenches and as we were coming back I saw Black shot,” the witness said.

“His head was blown clean off.”

The mystery lingers as the Australian War Memorial records his death as April 25 and the National Archives agrees, based on a 1916 court of inquiry that might have been prompted by the witness statement.

The story of the two brothers hit home for Herman’s granddaughter Annette Chigros.

Ms Chigros has been fascinated with her relatives and how they went down two very different paths.

“We know so much about my grandfather as he returned to have a large family and many descendants to remember him,” Ms Chigros said.

“However, I think we tend to forget about the ones that did not return.

“Harold has no descendants so the only memory we have is a photo with handwriting on it – ‘pray that he may return’.”

She said it was sad no-one remembered him and his body was never found.

“Harold still lies out there somewhere and but for telling his story, no-one knows of the ones who were young, enthusiastic, heroic, but were killed in the first few weeks of the campaign.

“That is why Anzac Day is so important, so we can remember all who went to war.

“So this Anzac Day I’ll have a beer for Uncle Harry, who still lies somewhere out there on the Gallipoli Peninsula.”

This story is part of Messenger’s 100 Years, 100 Days, 100 Stories project, which will profile 100 South Australian World War I heroes as the nation builds up to the centenary of the Allied landing on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. If you have the details and war record of a family member who served during World War I, let us know. Please go to your local Messenger’s Facebook page and send us the details.

Originally published as Prospect brothers Herman and Harold Black stepped up to fight for their country in World War I but had very different endings