John Vincent HOULIHAN

John Vincent HOULIHAN Update Details

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HOULIHAN, John Vincent

Service Number:	Officer
Enlisted:	16 June 1915, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank:	Captain
Last Unit:	29th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Warburton, Victoria, Australia, 16 November 1889
Home Town:	Warburton, Yarra Ranges, Victoria
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Draughtsman
Died:	Killed In Action, Belgium, 26 September 1917, aged 27 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Panel 23
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient)

World War 1 Service

16 Jun 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Melbourne, Victoria
10 Nov 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Officer, 29th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: ''
10 Nov 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 29th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Melbourne
12 Mar 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 29th Infantry Battalion
26 Sep 1917:	Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, 29th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood, Captain HOULHAN, J.V. Killed in Action at Polygon Wood, Belgium 26/09/1917. Eye witness statement for the Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files by 980 Pte. Frederick WALDON 'C' Company 29th Battalion. "I Knew Casualty. He was a medium built man about 5 ft. 9 ins. medium complexion, 38 years of age. Casualty was at Polygon Wood during the advance. We had just hopped off the tape when a machine gun bullet struck Casualty's head killing him instantly. I was just behind him at the time and saw him go down. We had to go forward and I did not see any more of him. I do not know where he was buried."

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Biography contributed by John Lakey

Captain John Vincent Houlihan 29th Battalion 'D' Company A.I.F.

Killed in Action at the Battle of Polygon Wood, Belgium on the 26th September 1917.

Witness statements for the Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files, 1914-18 War 1DRL/0428

"Capt Houlihan used to be in D. Co in Egypt but I did not know his company when he came to France. It was during the action at Polygon Wood on 26th September that I passed Capt Houlihan's dead body lying on the top of a trench. I was at the time with one of the pioneers who also recognised Capt Houlihan's body. I never heard if his body was afterwards recovered and buried."

Pte. T. Yates. 2173 D.XV1.

No. 3 Can. en.Hosp. Boulogne. 18.2.18

"I knew Casualty. He was a medium built man about 5 ft. 9 ins. medium complexion, 38 years of age. Casualty was at Polygon Wood during the advance. We had just hopped off the tape when a machine gun bullet struck Casualty's head killing him instantly. I was just behind him at the time and saw him go down. We had to go forward and I did not see any more of him.

I do not know where he was buried."

Pte. Frederick Waldon 980 29th Battalion 'C' Company A.I.F.

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