On 14 November 1917, the Newcastle Morning Herald reported
‘Barney’ Harold, the Cessnock goal-keeper, returned home from active service last week. Barney left in the early days of the war. Harold was one of the district’s best, and represented Cessnock in their last Ellis Cup final. He was one of Cessnock’s most popular players, and received a cordial welcome on his return.
In April 1917, Private Harold was diagnosed with severe myalagia. He was transferred from France to an English hospital and departed England for Australia on 22 July 1917. He died in December 1939, in Malaya, where he had worked for 10 years as a manager for Malayan Cola Collieries. He was 50 years of age.