Private Moses Haile Fisher

4407,  2nd Div. Salvage Company. Australian Imperial Force

Born c. Aug 1889, Parton near Whitehaven.

Died 18th Aug 1956, Aged 68 Tumbarumba, NSW, Australia

Son of Thomas and Isabella (nee Postlethwaite) Fisher

Husband of Katherine (Kate) Alice Tarran

Father of 6

Moses Haile Fisher was the eldest son of nine children born to Thomas Fisher and his wife Isabella (nee Postlethwaite). Thomas was a Police Constable and served in various villages during his career, including Patterdale between 1897 and 1900 (just before the new Police House was built). Moses would have been around 7 years old when the family came to Patterdale so would have attended Patterdale School for three years before the family moved on to Temple Sowerby.

On the 31st May 1907, at the age of 18, Moses sailed from Tilbury on board the R.M.S. Omrah bound for Brisbane to start a new life in Australia. He was travelling with 22 years old 'G. Fisher' (perhaps a cousin?). After the war broke out, Moses enlisted (at Casula, NSW) into the Australian Army on the 13th December 1915. After training, he embarked for Plymouth from Sydney bound for Europe on the 9th April 1916 aboard the HMAT Nestor A71 (see photo below - courtesy of the Australian War Memorial Website alongside fellow Dalesman William Ham - who had enlisted at the same time. Once in Plymouth he spent 2 months there, before being posted on the 11th August 1916 to the 2nd Division's Base Depot in France, where he joined the 19th Battalion Australian Imperial Force (AIF). He was twice absent without leave (AWOL) after joining his unit, and was punished first with 7 days “field punishment number 2” and then with 12 days detention and loss of 24 days pay. In November 1916, the 19th Battalion was involved in an attack on a trench system known as "the Maze" near Flers, in horrendous winter conditions that were described as the "worst ever encountered by the AIF".

In February 1917 the Germans took the Allies by surprise when they began Operation Alberich, their withdrawl to the heavily fortified Hindenburg line. The 19th Battalion was involved in following up their retreat and it is possible that it was during this action that on the 28th February 1917, Moses suffered a gun-shot wound to his face.

He was evacuated to the Canadian Hospital in Etaples, where he stayed for nearly two months before rejoining his Battalion. In August 1917, Moses was promoted to Lance Corporal and granted 14 days leave to England, where he married Katherine (Kate) Alice Tarran on the 23rd August 1917 in Andover. However, Moses failed to report back at the end of his leave and didn't turn up in France until the 11th September, where he immediately went into hospital for a week suffering from Scabies. He was punished for being 'Absent Without Leave' for 12 days, by having his promotion retracted. He was transferred to the 2nd Division's Salvage Company on the 2nd October 1917.

At the end of the war, whilst awaiting transport back to Australia, Moses was assigned to work on a Dairy Farm in Burnham on Crouch, Essex for two months - this appears to have been an effort by the military to give returning soldiers some skills. Moses returned to Australia, with his wife Kate, arriving in Sydney on the 8th November 1919. He was formally discharged from the Army on the 1st of January 1920 in Brisbane. Moses and Kate settled in Tumbarumba in New South Wales, where they had six children (2 sons and 4 daughters).

We’re not sure what happened to Moses’ family in England, although we know from his embarkation records (see below) that in 1916 his father was living at 20 Devonshire Street Workington. If you can add anything to the story of Moses or his family please contact us.

Moses’ Embarkation entry above and below Troops aboard the HMAT Nestor A71 in 1916.

A summary of Moses’ Service Record

Moses’ Marriage Certificate from his service record