KIRBY, Richard Norman
| Service Number: | 2305 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 July 1915, Dubbo, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, 11 November 1890 |
| Home Town: | Quambone, Coonamble, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Home Schooled |
| Occupation: | Station hand |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, France, 20 August 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen Block R, Plot II, row L, Grave No. 20, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 17th Infantry Battalion, Dubbo, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Argyllshire embarkation_ship_number: A8 public_note: '' |
|
| 30 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Argyllshire, Sydney | |
| 12 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second) | |
| 22 May 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, Menin Road | |
| 9 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, Battle of Poelcapelle | |
| 7 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918 | |
| 21 Jul 1918: | Wounded Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, "Peaceful Penetration - Low-Cost, High-Gain Tactics on the Western Front", GSW (neck) | |
| 11 Aug 1918: | Wounded Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", 2nd occasion - GSW (head) | |
| 20 Aug 1918: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2305, 20th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2305 awm_unit: 20 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-08-20 |
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| 14 Jan 1919: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, Fifth Suppliment, No. 31128, London Gazette 14 January 1919 |
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Add my storyBiography
Son of Samuel Charles and Kathleen Kirby, of Quambone, New South Wales.
"...Not long before the war ended, at Rancourt in the Somme, Kirby rushed a machine gun post single-handedly and, although wounded, managed to hold two machine guns and 14 Germans at bay until his comrades joined him. A few hours later, he threw his gun up over a trench, jumped up to follow it, and was shot through the head. The young soldier died nine days later, on August 20, 1918, at the US Army General Hospital in France..." - READ MORE LINK (www.bbc.com)
"Mrs. K. Kirby, of Quambone, has received official notification from the Defence Department that her son, Lance-Corporal R. N. Kirby, has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous bravery." - Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate 12 Aug 1919 (nla.gov.au)
Distinguished Conduct Medal
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an attack on Raincourt, on 11 August, 1918. He rushed a machine gun post single handed, and, although wounded in the attempt, succeeded in capturing and holding two machine guns and fourteen of the enemy until the remainder of his section came up. He set a fine example of courage and initiative to the men with him." - Commonwealth Gazette No. 67 - 3 Jun 1919
"L/Cpl. Richard Norman Kirby DCM is thought to be one of only three Aboriginal Soldiers to be Awarded the D.C.M. in the great war. (The other two being Pvt. William Allan Irwin DCM, 792, and Cpl. Albert Knight DCM, 5709)." - SOURCE (blogs.slq.qld.gov.au)
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