Lieutenant Colonel Henry McKean Tasker

Service number	VX47925
Birth Date	1900-09-29
Birth Place	Australia: Victoria, Seymour
Death Date	1958-09-10
Final Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Place	Seymour
Conflict/Operation	Second World War, 1939-1945

Description

Lieutenant Colonel Henry McKean ‘Harry’ Tasker enlisted to the Second Australian Imperial Force on 22 July 1940. He embarked for overseas service in late 1940. Lieutenant Colonel Tasker served as commanding officer of 2/24 Australian Infantry Battalion between February and June 1941, while the unit was serving in Egypt and Libya. He commanded the unit during the commencement of the siege of Tobruk. In June 1941, Lieutenant Colonel Tasker was attached to 26 Infantry Training Battalion in Palestine, where he assisted in the training of staff and troops. In mid-1942, Lieutenant Colonel Tasker returned to Australia. He served in a Headquarters unit in New Guinea in 1943, but became ill with malaria and was required to return to serve in Australia. In 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Tasker attending training in the United States before being assigned to the British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit. He remained with this unit until his discharge on 15 July 1946.

Collection items

Timeline

Date of birth	29 September 1900
Date and unit at enlinstment (ORs)	1919
Other units	1920	Gunner with 105 Battery.
Date commissioned	02 December 1924
Other units	02 December 1924	Lieutenant with 54th Battalion.
Date promoted	14 December 1927	Appointed captain.
Other	01 July 1929	Placed on the unattached list.
Other	01 July 1934	Reserve of Officers.
Other	22 April 1937	Placed on the unattached list.
Other units	18 December 1939	37th Battalion.
Other units	18 December 1939	Seconded Intelligence Officer, Headquarters 10th Brigade.
Other units	21 April 1940	General service officer grade 3 Headquarters 3rd Division.
Date promoted	08 May 1940	Temporary brigade major.
Other units	01 July 1940	Seconded as major to 2/24th Battalion.
Date promoted	26 September 1940	Appointed major.
Other	17 December 1940	Arrived Middle East.
Other	23 February 1941	Seconded brigade major (staff learner) 26th Brigade.
Other units	1941-06-04 - 1941-12-29	Commanding officer 26th AITB.
Date returned to Australia	07 August 1942	Returned to Melbourne.
Other units	1942-09-18 - 1943-07-22	Temporary lieutenant colonel, and commanding officer 47th Battalion.
Other	20 December 1942	Course - anti tank & artillery.
Other	24 January 1943	Arrived New Guinea.
Other	29 March 1943	Course - 5th Division Special Course.
Other units	1943-04-27 - 1943-06-09	Attached Headquarters Company.
Other	22 July 1943	Relinquished command 47th Battalion.
Other units	22 July 1943	Commanding officer Milne Bay Base Sub Area.
Date returned to Australia	30 August 1943	Returned to Townsville.
Other	16 September 1943	Arrived Milne Bay.
Date returned to Australia	27 September 1943	Returned to Townsville.
Date promoted	16 March 1944	Appointed lieutenant colonel.
Date returned to Australia	1945-05
Other	22 July 1945	Arrived Morotai.
Other	24 July 1945	Arrived Labuan.
Other	16 July 1946	Reserve of Officers.
Date of death	10 September 1958