Harry Comte
| Harry Comte | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | William Henry James Comte | ||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1909 | ||
| Place of birth | Moama, New South Wales | ||
| Date of death | 30 May 1945 (aged 36) | ||
| Place of death |
Tarakan Island, Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies | ||
| Original team(s) | Echuca | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1930–1937 | St Kilda | 104 (55) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1937. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
William Henry James Comte (10 March 1909 – 30 May 1945) was an
He fought in World War II with the 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F., and died of wounds sustained in action during the 1945 Battle of Tarakan.
Family
The second son of William Thomas Comte (1881–????), and Matilda Comte (1884–1943), née Flowers,[1] William Henry James Comte was born at Moama, in New South Wales on 10 March 1909.
He married Ruby Irene "Connie" Curtis (later, Mrs Jack Shearer) on 31 May 1941.[2] They had one son: John Henry Comte (1942–2018).
Football
Echuca (BFL)
Recruited from the Moama Junior Football Club, he played for the Echuca Football Club (coached by ex-Fitzroy footballer
He was the club's best and fairest in his first year at the club, and played a number of games over those three seasons for combined Bendigo League teams.[4]
St Kilda (VFL)
Comte usually played as a rover or in defence. He won St Kilda's
Sandringham (VFA)
Cleared from St Kilda to Sandringham on 13 April 1938,[5] he was only able to play 17 matches over the two years he was with Sandringham (1938–1939), due to the knee injuries that had ended his career at St Kilda.
Military service
He enlisted for service with the Second AIF and served with the 2/24 Australian Infantry Battalion.
Death
He died at
See also
- List of Victorian Football League players who died in active service
Footnotes
- ^ Funerals: Late Mrs Matilda Comte, The Riverine Herald, (Friday, 16 July 1943), p. 1.
- ^ Today's Marriages: Comte—Curtis, The Herald, (Saturday, 31 May 1941), p. 21.
- ^ The Late Harry Comte; A Great Footballer and Grand Sportsman, The Riverine Herald, (Monday, 16 July 1945), p. 2.
- ^ Main & Allen 2002, p. 224.
- ^ League Men Cleared, The Argus, [Thursday, 14 April 1938), p. 20.
- ^ Deaths: Comte, The Age, (Tuesday, 5 June 1945), p. 6; Deaths: Comte, The Riverine Herald, (Monday, 11 June 1945), p. 2.
- ^ Former St. Kilda Footballer Killed, The Herald, (Tuesday, 5 June 1945), p. 3; The Last Post, The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 16 June 1945), p. 3.
References
- Main, Jim; Allen, David (2002). Fallen: The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War. Melbourne: Crown Content. pp. 224–226. ISBN 978-1-74095-010-7.
- World War Two Service Record: Private William Henry James Comte (VX102248), National Archives of Australia.
- Roll of Honour: Private William Henry James Comte (VX102248), Australian War Memorial.
- Australian Army Casualty List: Victoria: Overseas: Died of Wounds, The Argus, (Wednesday, 27 June 1945), p. 4.
External links
- Harry Comte's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Harry Comte at AustralianFootball.com
- Harold "Bill" Comte, at The VFA Project.
- Harry Comte, at Boyles Football Photos.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Private William Henry James Comte (VX102248).