Urban Aloysius Joseph Haley

HALEY, Urban Aloysius Joseph- – – – SPC 1910

DoB:- – April 1896, St Helens, TAS

Father:- – Thomas Augustin Haley

Mother:– – Mary Ann, nee Fox

There were three Haley brothers at St Patrick’s College; Ambrose (SPC 1908), John (SPC 1909-1910) and Urban (SPC 1910). They came to Ballarat from St Helen’s in Tasmania, as boarders. With the opening of St Virgil’s Christian Brothers College in Hobart, the Haley boys returned to Tasmania to finish their secondary education.

Service No:- 3441

Rank:– – Corporal, later Sergeant

Unit:- – Admin HQ, 40th Battalion

Urban Haley enlisted on 23 March 1917, at the age of 20 years and 10 months. He was five feet, seven and a quarter inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and black hair. He was a single man who worked as a Military Staff Clerk. He was appointed to the rank of Corporal upon his enlistment. Three months later, in June 1917 he was promoted to the rank of Lance Sergeant.

He embarked from Sydney on 14 June 1917, aboard the Honorata, disembarking at Liverpool, England on 26 August. Upon his arrival in the UK he marched in to the 10th Training Battalion. Two months later, on 20 November 1917 Haley proceeded overseas to France and was attached to Field Headquarters for duty as a staff clerk.

Haley was recommended for the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in February 1919. The action for which he was commended was -“

– -‘-¦ For marked devotion to duty during the period midnight 16/17th September to 11 November 1918. This -¦ Officer was supervising the Administrative work in the -¦ Offices of this Division. During this period which was one of exceptional activity, Company Sergeant Major Haley carried out his duties often under trying circumstances with conspicuous zeal and was an excellent example to the remainder of the staff -¦’

-‘His Majesty The King was graciously pleased to approved’ the award and it was promulgated in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 6 October 1919, a month after Haley was returned to Australia.

Urban Haley settled back into civilian life at St Helens, Tasmania, and worked as an accountant. At some time between 1928 and 1936 Urban married Gladys Rita, and they lived together at 322 Macquarie Street in South Hobart. The College could not trace Urban after his last appearance in the electoral rolls of 1954.

–