Harold Westley was born in Fern Tree Gully, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on 28th April 1893.
In 1914 he joined the 5th Battalion, Imperial Australian Army. He was under-age and therefore decided to masquarade as his older bother Thomas who had been born in 1891 (hence his nickname ‘Tommy‘ that persisted into his career in the 140 Rgt).
Westley served on the Western front and was promoted to Sergeant. In 1916 he wrote to the Australian Army to correct the record of his name and date of birth. His brother Eric served with the 38th battalion, Australian army and was killed on active service in August 1918 at St Quentin, Somme.
After the Great War, Harold Westley was demobilised in 1919 and guaranteed employment in the UK by Mssrs H.N. Brock, Mawney Road, Romford, Essex. Two years later, on 12th November 1921, he married Doris Mary Brock. They settled in Romford and had six children. Interestingly, Major Edward Milton, 140 Rgt RA also lived and worked in Romford during this inter-war period.
Westley maintained his commission in the Territorial Army and was promoted to Major; I’m not clear at what point he transferred to the Royal Artillery but he was part of the founding group of officers who attended the first training camp at Beaulieu in 1939. In fact, this is the only image I’ve been able to find of him.
At the outbreak of WW2, with a rhyme to the circumstances of his enlistment in WW1, Westley accepted demotion to the rank of Captain in order to join the Regiment. He served under OC (Officer Commanding) Major Milton, 367 Battery as Battery Captain.
Capt Harold Westley – the only image I can find- taken at Beaulieu camp 1939
Captivity, Escape & Evasion
Capt Westley took part in the Breakout from Cassel and was captured on 30th May 1940 near Watou. He was transferred as a POW to Oflag VIIC with most of his fellow 140 Rgt officer comrades, but was then transferred to Stalag XXID, Posen. From Posen he was transferred to Oflag VB, Biberach in Bavaria.
Alongside Michael Duncan MC and fellow 140 Rgt comrade, Lt Ronald Baxter, in 1941 he took part in the mass escape by tunnel from Oflag VB, but both Westley and Baxter were re-captured within sight of the Swiss border. After his re-capture, Capt Westley was transferred to Oflag IXA/H where he spent the rest of the war in captivity.
He managed to communicate ‘by secret means’ with MI9 and was active in the Escape Committee at Oflag IX. His MI9 report is in the National Archives and documents his work on the Escape Committee and methods of communication with MI9.
It is reproduced below:-
Capt Westley’s MI9 Report 19/4/1945- courtesy National Archives
Post War
Capt Westley received a mention-in-despatches for his bravery during WW2 and captivity [see Captivity- Officers of the Regiment].
Tragically, Harold ‘Tommy‘ Westley died quite soon after the war’s end, in November 1951 in Virginia Water, Surrey at the age of 58 years. His wife Doris Westley died age 71 years in St Leonards on Sea in December 1969.
I’m grateful to his grandson Gavin Westley for much of this information