The AIF Project

Denis RYAN

Regimental number6165
Place of birthSydney, New South Wales
SchoolSt Francis Catholic School
ReligionRoman Catholic
OccupationLabourer
Address106 Abercrombie Street, Sydney, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation32
Height5' 6"
Weight138 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs Bridget Ryan, 106 Abercrombie Street, Sydney, New South Wales
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date20 January 1916
Place of enlistmentCasula, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name23rd Battalion, 17th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/40/4
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A8 Argyllshire on 31 October 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll23rd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 4 July 1918
Age at death from cemetery records30
Place of burialVillers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery (Plot X, Row A, Grave No. 6), Fouilloy, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
100
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Michael and Bridget RYAN
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 30 October 1916; disembarked Plymouth, 10 January 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 25 April 1917; taken on strength, 23rd Bn, in the field, 2 May 1917.

Found guilty, 4 June 1917, of being absent without leave from 9 am till 10 pm, 2 June 1917: awarded 168 hours' Field Punishment No 2.

Admitted to 7th Australian Field Ambulance, 27 June 1917 (pyrexia, unknown origin); transferred to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, 1 July 1917 (trench fever); to Ambulance Train No 2, 7 July 1917, and admitted to 55th General Hospital, Boulogne; transferred to 11th Stationary Hospital, Rouen, 24 July 1917; to No 2 Convalescent Depot, 26 July 1917; to No 11 Convalescent Depot, Buchy, 3 August 1917; to 2nd Australian Division Base Depot, Havre, 22 September 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 4 October 1917.

Admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance, 1 December 1917 (eye examination); discharged to duty, and rejoined Bn, 5 December 1917.

On leave to England, 4 March 1918; rejoined Bn from leave, 21 March 1918.

Killed in action, 4 July 1918.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2390304L, 18 Lance Corporal J. FITZPATRICK, 23rd Bn (patient, 3rd Southern General hospital, Oxford, England), 19 August 1919: 'I belong to the Pioneers, and I helped to carry out Pte. D. Ryan (23.A.) after he had been killed outright by a shell on July 4 at Villers-Bretonneux. I took him away the next day and he was buried in the military cemetery at Blangy-Tronville.'

Second statement, 6085 Pte W. GRAHAM, 23rd Bn (patient, 11th Stationary hospital, Rouen), 21 August 1918: 'He was killed at Villers Bretonneux in an attack which we and the Americans made. I did not see him killed but helped to bury him. He was carrying ammunition behind the front line and was hit by a piece of shell on the head and killed at once.'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, RYAN Denis
Red Cross File No 2390304L

Print format    


© The AIF Project 2024, UNSW Canberra. Not to be reproduced without permission.