Richard Lawrence DENNIS

DENNIS, Richard Lawrence

Service Number: V352282
Enlisted: 1 March 1942
Last Rank: Lieutenant
Last Unit: 1st (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC)
Born: Warncoort, Victoria, Australia, 27 November 1888
Home Town: Winchelsea, Surf Coast, Victoria
Schooling: Geelong College, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Grazier
Died: Lorne, Victoria, Australia, 6 February 1972, aged 83 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Warncoort Public Cemetery, Victoria, Australia
Memorials: Colac Soldier's Memorial, Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour, Irrewarra Warncoort State School No 2218 Roll of Honor
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World War 2 Service

1 Mar 1942: Enlisted V352282, 1st (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC)
1 Nov 1945: Discharged V352282, 1st (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC)

World War 1 Service

Date unknown: Involvement British Forces (All Conflicts), Second Lieutenant, Unspecified British Units
Date unknown: Involvement British Forces (All Conflicts), Lieutenant, The Royal Artillery (Garrison)

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Richard Lawrence Dennis was born at Uondo, Warncoort, Victoria on the 27 November 1888, the son of Richard Vinicombe Dennis and Ada Caroline nee Lawrence. He was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1904 and his address was given as Tarndwarncoort, Warncoort. At College he gained the following class awards:
1904, 1st, Euclid, 3rd Form.
1904, 2nd, Writing, Middle 4th Form.
1906, 1st, English, 5th Form B.
1906, 2nd, Geography, 5th Form B.

He followed pastoral pursuits at Tarrndwarncoort, and was in the family partnership purchasing Pircarra Estate, Darlington, Victoria in 1913. He sailed for England in January 1916, and volunteered for service in the Royal Garrison Artillery, British Expeditionary Forces. He took a course at Officers’ Training School, Exeter, and was drafted to heavy artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant. He then served in Egypt and the Palestine campaign under General Allenby, where he was invalided first to England, and then to Australia.

In 1930, he married Isabel Lewis ‘Daisy’ Kininmonth, of Mount Hesse, Winchelsea who was a sister of James Carstairs Kininmonth.

Richard Dennis died at Lorne, Victoria on 6 February 1972 aged 83.

Two brothers, Alexander William Dennis (1887-1969), and John Vernon Dennis (1891-1970) were also educated at College.


Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p.171 (citing Alexander Henderson, Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverina (1936); Pegasus).

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