John REILLY

Regimental number3878
Place of birthWicklow, Ireland
ReligionRoman Catholic
OccupationLabourer
Address36 Hindley Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation42
Height5' 9"
Weight143 lbs
Previous military serviceR.N.R., England (5 years, time expired); Imperial South African Horse (1.5 years active service); Mounted Police, Capetown (1.5 years)
Enlistment date10 June 1915
Place of enlistmentKeswick, South Australia
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name10th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/27/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board RMS Malwa on 2 December 1915
Regimental number from Nominal Roll3878A
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll50th Battalion
FateReturned to Australia 1 November 1917
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: not known
Discharge date6 February 1918
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Allotted to 10th Bn from 3rd Training Bn, Aerodrome Camp, 17 March 1916; taken on strength of 10th Bn, Serapeum, 17 March 1916.

Taken on strength of 50th Bn, Serapeum, 2 April 1916.

Found guilty, 1 May 1916, of (1) offering violence to a superior officer; (2) using threatening language to a superior officer; (3) insolence to an officer: awarded 5 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 5 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 12 June 1916.

Found guilty, Marseilles, 13 June 1916, of (1) breaking ranks without permission; (2) pillaging property of a native inhabitant of an allied nation: awarded 28 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Pleaded guilty at a Field General Court Martial, 27 July 1916, to a charge of while on Active Service disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer: sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment with hard labour; sentence confirmed by General Sir H.V. Cox, 31 July 1916.

Admitted to Military Prison, Rouen, 10 August 1916.

Released from No 1 Military Prison, Rouen, 16 December 1916, on remission of sentence; rejoined unit, 17 December 1916.

Wounded in action, 17 August 1917; admitted to No 12 Australian Field Ambulance, 18 August 1917 (H.E.W. shoulder); transferred to No 7 General Hospital, Etaples, 19 August 1917; to England, 29 August 1917; to Beaufort Hospital, Bristol, 30 August 1917 (gunshot wound back); to No 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, 2 October 1917; discharged and marched into No 2 Command Depot, Weymouth, 5 October 1917.

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Anchisses', 1 November 1917; disembarked Adelaide, 1 January 1918; discharged (medically unfit: gunshot wound chest), 6 February 1918.

Total war service: 2 years 242 days (of which 2 years and 29 days were abroad).

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Cause of death: tuberculosis
Date of death19 April 1927
Age at death54
Place of burialAIF Cemetery (Row 7 West, Grave 12), West Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia
SourcesNAA: B2455, REILLY John