RAVELL, David Clarence
| Service Number: | 764 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 June 1915, An original member of B Company |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 19th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Forster, New South Wales, Australia, 11 December 1888 |
| Home Town: | Forster, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Master builder |
| Died: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 20 December 1937, aged 49 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Cemeteries & Crematorium, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Kirribilli Sydney Flying Squadron & Sydney Sailing Club Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 764, 19th Infantry Battalion, An original member of B Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 764, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 764, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne |
Help us honour David Clarence Ravell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
David Clarence Ravell was a son of George and Hannah Marie Ravell of Cape Hawke, Forster, New South Wales. He had three other brothers who served overseas in the AIF during WW1. They were all said to be well known in sporting circles in Sydney. They all owned and raced an 18ft racing boat called ‘Kismet’ which won the Australian championship in 1912.
His older brother, 34 Pte. Thomas Francis Ravell, also an original of the 19th Battalion AIF, was killed in action at Bullecourt on 3 May 1917, aged 31.
Another younger brother, 2715 Pte. John Herbert ‘Jack’ Ravell 54th Battalion AIF, was killed in action at Polygon Wood, Belgium 26 September 1917, aged 22.
David was a master builder when he enlisted with the 19th Battalion during June 1915. He was six feet in height and well built. He served at Gallipoli but was evacuated very ill with enteric during November 1915. He was so ill he was returned to Australia ‘for a change’ on the 3 January 1916.
He reported back for duty in Sydney on 13 June 1916 and arrived in England during November 1916. He was back in France with the 19th Battalion by mid-1917 and was promoted to Sergeant. After the end of the war, he was promoted to Lieutenant and he didn’t leave England until July 1919.
He married Lillian Jane Duncan only a few months after he arrived back in Australia. Three sons were born over the next few years. He became the proprietor of a noted Sydney building company, as well as pursuing his yachting interests.
In December 1937, it appears that he was supervising the erection of a building at the corner of Bourke and Campbell Streets in Sydney, and was standing near a concrete mixer, when a piece of timber fell from a height of 30 meters and struck his head, fracturing his skull. He died in St. Vincent's Hospital shortly afterwards.
In his obituary, printed in the Manning River Times, it was reported “A wave of sorrow swept the Cape Hawke watershed on Tuesday last when it became widely known that Mr. David Clarence Ravell, a district native and prominent city builder, was killed on Monday afternoon. He was a man with very wide popularity wherever he was known. He had a striking personality which attracted one and the more one knew him the more he was appreciated.”
It was noted that he was one of four brothers who served in the war, along with George, Jack (KIA) and Tom Ravell (KIA).
For 25 years Dave Ravell had been associated with sailing and at the time of his death was president of the Sydney Flying Squadron. As well as his fame with the 18-footers, Kismet, he had recently had built to his order a six-metre yacht, Clipper, which he raced with success in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
Sadly, his son, Leading AirCraftsman Maxwell David Ravell RAAF lost his life during WW2, when his training aircraft crashed at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales on 20 February, 1942. He was only 19 years of age.
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