Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

World War I Report, Ferdinand Paul Drymalik

Ferdinand Paul Drymalik was a World War I soldier from the 11/27th Battalion (11th Reinforcements departed Adelaide Shropshire 25 March 1916). The 27th Battalion was the second of the predominantly South Australian Battalions to be raised in WW1. On November 18th, 1915, he enlisted in the military. Drymalik had a medium complexion, dark hair, dark eyes, his chest was 34.36 inches, his waist measurements were 134 lbs, and he had a height of 5 feet 81/4 inches.

Before the War

Ferdinand Paul Drymalik was born was born in Gilberton, South Australia on January 20th, 1895.  He was one of seven siblings. His parents were Ferdinand Dryzmalik (1864-1928) and Lucy Ellen Stanton. Before the war, Drymalik was employed as a postman delivering to suburbs all around the town. He was enlisted to join the war on November 18th, 1915, at only 20 years of age. He had never worked in the military before the war and therefore had very little experience in this area. Drymalik had a partner called Marcella Mary Johnson and they were still not married at the time he went off to the war.

During the War

Ferdinand Paul Drymalik enlisted in the military on November 18th, 1915, with no prior military experience. After receiving a couple of months training at Signal School in Australia, on March 25th , 1916, he embarked as a Private, with the 11/27th Infantry Battalion (11th Reinforcements) on the HMAT Shropshire. He arrived in France abroad the 'SS Victoria' on 13th December 1916.

In early 1917 Ferdinand was involved with minor attacks as the German’s withdrew to the Hindenberg line. Unit diaries state how cold it was that winter. Ferdinand was hospitalised sick on 29th April, 1917.The next major battle the 27th was involved with was the Battle of Menin Rd in September 1917. The Allies were victorious and then followed up by capturing Broodseinde Ridge in October with the help of the 27th Battalion. By this stage Ferdinand had been transferred to the 2nd Australian Division Signal Company (24th October 1917)

The 27th Battalion, like the majority of them, fought to stop the German spring offensive in April 1918. Later that year, as Germany was being pushed ever closer to defeat, they took part in a series of offensive battles. On the evening of June 10th, it launched an attack near Morlancourt, and on July 4th, it supported the Hamel battle. This was the first wave of the battle of Amiens on August 8th, and on this day the battalion took over 200 prisoners in addition to about nine pieces of artillery and 25 machine guns.

The Battalion's final battles were fought during the first week of October 1918 as part of the offensive to breach the Beaurevoir Line, but it wasn't disbanded until June 4th, 1919.

Ferdinand Paul Drymalik survived the war, despite having the flu for a portion of it and spending a few days in the hospital. The war was eventually over, and he fled back to Australia where he was then reunited with his family.

After the War

Ferdinand Paul Drymalik and Marcella Mary Johnson didn’t marry until the 30th of October 1926, in Norwood, South Australia. It remains unknown if the two decided to have children together. Drymalik died peacefully at the age of 76 on the 17th of October 1971 from old age in his hometown of Gilberton, South Australia with some of his siblings also dying at around the same time as he fell to rest.

 Bibliography

“| the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51467.

“27th Infantry Battalion.” Vwma.org.au, vwma.org.au/explore/units/2#:~:text=The%2027th%20Battalion%20was%20the.

“Drymalik Ferdinand Paul : SERN 4410 : POB Gilberton SA : POE Adelaide SA : NOK M Drymalik Ellen Lucy.” National Archives of Australia, 1914, recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3523542. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.

“FamilySearch.org.” Ancestors.familysearch.org, ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MWWR-VTT/ferdinand-paul-drymalik-1895-1971. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.