The AIF Project

John RIDE

Place of birthAlbert Park Victoria
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationCivil engineer
Address'The Manse', Bulla, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation28
Next of kinFather, William Ride, 'The Manse', Bulla PO, Bulla, Victoria
Enlistment date17 January 1916
Rank on enlistment2nd Lieutenant
Unit name2nd Pioneer Battalion, Reinforcement 6
AWM Embarkation Roll number14/14/4
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 20 October 1916
Rank from Nominal RollLieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll2nd Pioneer Battalion
FateReturned to Australia 4 June 1919
Medals

Military Medal

On 16th April this Officer was detached to take out a party of N.C.Os. to tape out at dusk a line of trenches to be dug by the Battalion after dark the same evening, across the valley just north of BUIRE. The enemy heavily and consistently shelled the locality, and rendered the task of taping the line exceedingly difficult and dangerous. Knowing that the Battalion would be moving up and that the night's programme could not otherwise be carried out, Lt. Ride stuck to the task and so animated the party with his spirit and resolution that the line was completely laid out, though one of the party was killed and another had his clothes badly torn by shell fire.' (Undated, but between 8-20 April 1918). Second recommendation, dated 25 September 1918, reads: 'When the Division came down to the Somme early in April and did a lot of forward trench digging for the defence of Amiens, Lieutenant Ride did the work of taping out the tasks during daylight and marking out the sectors to which he led the companies after dark. Though frequently subjected to machine gun fire and at times barrage artillery fire, he never failed to complete the task up to time, so that the Battalion never failed to do the task alloted. He has been a consistently reliable and gallant officer throught he last six months.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 61
Date: 23 May 1919

Other details

War service: Western Front

Medals: Military Cross, British War Medal, Victory Medal

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