Second son of Joseph Meltzer and Vera Meltzer nee Levy.

Husband of Reva (nee Jolson), they married 1 December 1949. Father of five children.

Harry grew up in Mt Eden and was educated Mt Albert Grammar School.

After school he did an apprenticeship as a tent manufacturer.

Harry joined the Army in August 1940 and trained in Auckland, Trentham and Ngaruawahia (with the Supply section) as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant and embarked for War as a Temporary Sergeant. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 5 May 1943.

Harry served as a Temporary Sergeant in Palestine and Egypt and was deployed to Alexandria then to Italy 23 June 1945.

His photograph and a biography was published in the Auckland Star and New Zealand Herald newspapers when he was Mentioned in Despatches.

He left Europe to come home on the 27 February 1946 disembarking in New Zealand 19 March 1946.

Posted to the Reserves he attended Annual Camp with the Reserve of Officers until 30 March 1952.

After the war Harry worked for the family company E.L. Riley, a company manufacturing work clothes and heavy duty clothes, as a salesman and then as General Manager.

A gifted sportsman he was well known in sporting circles having played senior cricket and league football for Richmond. He also played for Auckland B Grade and joined Carlton Bowling Club.

In 1964 he left the family business to start his own manufacturing company, Harmel Clothing Manufacturers Ltd. The company made jeans and children's clothing in Otara, Auckland in premises owned by his father inlaw Harry Jolson. In May 1969 the Company received a franchise to manufacture jeans and golf attire under the Arnold Palmer label which were then sold by Milne and Choice.

Harry's Company was bought out by JBL Limited in early 1969 and Harry remained the Chief Executive Officer. JBL extended the business to Australia and Harry move to live Australia. In 1970 the Company went into receivership. Harry joined the English Company S.H. Lock, a property development business, in 1972 and supervised the construction of commercial properties in Sydney.

He retired in 1983 and with Reva lived in Northern New South Wales.

New Zealand Jewish Soldiers Project, biographical histories, family visits by Evelyn Jaffe, Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM