HENNESSY, Maurice Bernard
| Service Number: | 50 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 1st Divisional Signal Company |
| Born: | Orroroo, South Australia, 30 August 1892 |
| Home Town: | Orroroo, Orroroo/Carrieton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Adelaide Christian Brothers College |
| Occupation: | Telegraphist |
| Died: | Suicide, Orroroo, South Australia, 11 September 1927, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Christian Brothers' College WW1 Roll of Honor, Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Orroroo District Roll of Honour WW1, Orroroo Public School Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 50, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 50, 1st Divisional Signal Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 50, 1st Divisional Signal Company, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne | |
| 13 Sep 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant | |
| 14 Mar 1919: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant | |
| 18 Sep 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 50 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sophie Swan
Maurice Bernard Hennessy was born in Orroroo, South Australia in 1892 on the 30th August. His parents were Mary and John Hennessy. John died in April 1938 and laid to rest in the Orroroo Cemetery. Mary died 16 years later in February 1954; she is buried with her husband at the Orroroo Cemetery.
His brothers werere John and Clement. John died 3rd March 1949 of cancer at 56, and Clemen, died on 24th February 1995 by natural causes at the age of 98. Maurice also had a sister called Eleanor Hennessy who died at 9 years old and was buried at Orroroo on 5th July 1886.
Orroroo was his hometown and went to Adelaide Christian Brothers College for his schooling to get the best education.
On 18th August 1914 when he was 21 and 11 months, he signed up for the AIF. His service number was 50. On the 20th of October 1914 he departed from Melbourne to Egypt on the HMAT Karroo A10. The 1st Divisional Signal Company (Maurice’s unit) travelled to Egypt for the training that prepared them for the Gallipoli campaign. Maurice’s rank was a sapper and he served as a telegraphist who provided communications for the troops and repaired the lines that allowed them to use morse code and radios.
Maurice was seriously wounded at Gallipoli in September 1915 fracturing his femer. First he was treated in a hospital ship at Malta, and then he was sent to the George Hospital in London. Once he recovered he was sent to the Western Front in October 1916.
In September 1918 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant then in March 1919 he was promoted to Lieutenant. After the war ended he spent some time in hospital in 1919 with the flu.
Maurice returned to Australia on the 28th of May 1920 and was discharged in September of the same yeare. Maurice is on the Roll of Honour for WW1 at Adelaide Christian Brothers College, Orroroo District and Orroroo Area School, which was known in the 1800s, early 1900s as Orroroo Public School.
He sadly committed suicide on the 11th of September 1927 at the age of 35.