MULVIHILL, Lawrence Rupert
| Service Number: | 3182 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 October 1916, Enlisted at Goulburn. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 55th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia, 25 March 1890 |
| Home Town: | Newtown (NSW), Inner West, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Superior Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Fireman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 19 October 1917, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cowra & District Great War Honor Roll, Harden WW1 Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3182, 55th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Goulburn. | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 3182, 55th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 3182, 55th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney |
Help us honour Lawrence Rupert Mulvihill's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Lawrence Rupert MULVIHILL (Service Number 3182) was born on 25th March 1890 at Tumut. He began working for the NSW Government Railways at Harden Locomotive Depot as a casual cleaner (The first rung in the career path to locomotive driver) from 22nd December 1911. By July 1912 he was made permanent and by 30th April 1913 he had progressed to fireman. He was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 23rd October 1916 and enlisted the same day at Goulburn. He stated that he was married to Eva Kathleen and named her as his next of kin. He had also served a 12 months’ apprenticeship with A J Jenkins of Tumut.
He was allotted to the 8th Reinforcements to the 55th Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Suevic’ at Sydney on 11th November 1916 and reached Devonport (England) on 30th January 1917. After a few months with the 14th Training Battalion he proceeded overseas to France on 25th April 1917. He was taken on the strength of the 55th Battalion on 30th April as a stretcher bearer.
He was killed in action on 19th October. Private Weinrabe, (2494) reported:
‘On 20.10.17 the Battalion was in rear supports at Anzac Ridge, near Passchendaele. At night-time about 8 men, including Mulvihill and [myself], were asleep in dug-out, when a shell landed on the dug-out and killed Mulvihill outright, 3 of the others also being killed. [I] saw him after he was killed and was present when he was buried later on, near where he fell. A cross was erected with name etc. thereon. He was well thought of by his mates.’
After the war Mulvihill’s grave could not be located, so he has no known grave. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
From 19th January 1918 pensions were granted to Mulvihill’s widow (£2 per fortnight) and their son, Jack Thomas Mulvihill (£1 per fortnight). A pension (£1 per fortnight) was also granted from the same date to Lawrence Hayes of Windsor, an ex-nuptial child.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
Click images to start slideshow.