IRELAND, Roy Maxwell
| Service Numbers: | 1734, 1743, 1743A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 March 1916, Bendigo, Victoria as part of the 38th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement recruitment. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 7th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, 3 June 1897 |
| Home Town: | Castlemaine, Mount Alexander, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Castlemaine State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Moulding |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 21 September 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Commemorated: - Panel 7, Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1734, 2nd Training Battalion (AIF), Bendigo, Victoria as part of the 38th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement recruitment. | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 1743, 38th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 1743, 38th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Melbourne | |
| 21 Sep 1917: | Involvement Private, 1743A, 7th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1743A awm_unit: 7 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-09-21 | |
| 21 Sep 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1743A, 7th Infantry Battalion, Killed in action, Belgium. |
Roy Maxwell Ireland
Your Dad’s Prayer (Lest we Forget)
In 1916 my great grandfather William ‘Dad’ Ireland bid farewell to his two sons, his nephew, and his own brother as they sailed for Europe to fight in the great war, World War 1.
Roy Maxwell, 20 was killed in action at the Battle of Menin Road Bridge in Belgium on September 21st, 1917.
George William, his eldest son, 23 was wounded on the 23rd of August 1918 in France, the victim of gas, he was returned home in poor health.
William’s nephew, Valentine Ivan, lied about his age with his parents’ consent and was killed in action on the 15th of July 1916 in France. He was 18 and 1 month old.
William’s older brother, Victor, fighting at the age of 46 was wounded in action on the 16th of July 1918 and was returned home.
When his sons sailed for Europe on the 20th of June 1916, William sent with them a postcard with their portraits in uniform on the front. On the rear he penned a poem and a simple prayer to comfort them in times of need and to let them know his love for them.
The lyrics and the prayer in my song, Your Dad’s Prayer (Lest we Forget) are Williams words to his sons.
Submitted 8 May 2025 by Tim Ireland
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