Regimental number | 1520 |
Place of birth | Dunbible, New South Wales |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Occupation | Labourer |
Address | Upper Crystal Creek, Tweed River, New South Wales |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 19 |
Height | 5' 5" |
Weight | 130 lbs |
Next of kin | Father, P.P. Ryan, Upper Crystal Creek, Tweed River, New South Wales |
Previous military service | Served in the 12th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time of AIF enlistment. |
Enlistment date | |
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
Place of enlistment | Brisbane, Queensland |
Rank on enlistment | Acting Sergeant |
Unit name | 31st Battalion, 1st Reinforcement |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/48/2 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A41 Bakara on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Sergeant |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 31st Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of burial | Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot I, Row A, Grave No 2), France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 119 |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Melbourne, 5 November 1915; disembarked Suez, ex-'Wandilla', 7 December 1915. Taken on strength of 31st Bn and reverted to rank of Private, Serapeum, 12 December 1915. Promoted Lance Corporal, 12 December 1915. Promoted Corporal, Ferry Post, 30 May 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Reported missing and wounded, 19 July 1916. Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 1 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'. Statement, Red Cross File No 2390906, 1570 Pte W.G. RALSTON, 31st Bn, 27 February 1917: 'I knew him, we were at Fleurbaix. During the attack he was killed by a shell. I was fairly close at the time and saw the shell burst but I did not know then whom it had killed but the men afterwards told me it had killed him.' Second statement, 412 Pte T. McBRYDE, 31st Bn, 27 February 1917: 'I knew him very well. We were at Fleurbaix. We held the trenches for 14 hours and were then bombed out. I saw him killed by a shell on the evening of July 19th.' Third statement, 412 Pte T. McBRYDE, 31st Bn (patient, 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, England), 15 March 1917: 'I saw Cpl Ryan's body lying dead on the ground, during the charge he (sic) made on July 19th.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 3), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France. |
Sources | NAA: B2455, RYAN William Polding
Red Cross file 2390906 Red Cross file 2390903 |