Subject

Joshua

Text

Joshua Greater love hath no man than that a man lay down his life for his friends

Inscription

To the memory of Pte. Harold E.S. Byrne born July 1923 died (Prisoner of War) [1 July 1943]

Description & History

The only record of this window is a black and white cartoon for a single lancet window that is held in the Alan Sumner Collection at the State Library of Victoria. The figure of Joshua is the main feature of the window. A traditional architectural canopy and base ornamented the light. One possible location for the window is written on the verso of the cartoon - 'near Geelong'. It is possible that the window was not commissioned.

Harold Edward Stewart Byrne was born 14 July 1920 at Leopold on the Bellarine Peninsula. He enlisted at Royal Park, training at Bonegilla with the newly formed 2/29 Battalion and then at Bathurst before travelling to Singapore with 27 Brigade, arriving on 15 August 1941. The battalion was involved in fierce fighting in Malaya before having to withdraw with severe casualties. At the surrender of Singapore, many men from the 2/29 were captured and spent the next three and a half years as prisoners of war. Private Byrne did not survive and died from illness in Thailand on 1 July 1943, aged 22. He was buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand.

References & Acknowledgements

AWM Roll of Honour; NAA: B883, VX54989; CWGC website; Alan Sumner Collection, State Library of Victoria.