DUNN, William Payton
| Service Number: | 2359 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 July 1915, Sydney, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Balmain, New South Wales, Australia, 9 October 1885 |
| Home Town: | Rozelle, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Walstone Park Superior Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Bullecourt, France, 3 May 1917, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, North Sydney Tramways Pictorial Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2359, 17th Infantry Battalion, Sydney, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 2359, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 2359, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Sydney | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2359, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2359 awm_unit: 17th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-03 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
William Payton DUNN, (Service Number 2359) was 25-years-old when he was first casually employed as a tram conductor. He had been born at Balmain, on 9 October 1885. His employment became permanent a year later and on 24 July 1915 he was recorded as being released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces, though he had already enlisted ten days earlier. He left Australia on 5 October on HMAT A32 ‘Themistocles’. Mary Pennington, his sister was named as his next of kin, as their parents were long deceased, and Mary had acted as foster-mother to her brother since 1900.
He was reported missing in action at Bullecourt on 5 May 1917, a week after
his promotion to Lance-Corporal. Another soldier, G R North reported seeing him only slightly injured, but no other evidence of his fate could be found. It was not until a Court of Enquiry six months later that he was declared killed.
Submitted 20 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of William and Elizabeth Ann DUNN
Biography contributed by John Oakes
William Payton DUNN (Service Number 2359) was 25-years-old when he was first casually employed as a tram conductor. He had been born at Balmain, on 9th October 1885. His employment became permanent a year later. On 24th July 1915 he was recorded as being released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces, although he had already enlisted ten days earlier. He left Australia on 5th October on HMAT A32 ‘Themistocles’. Mary Pennington, his sister, was named as his next of kin, because their parents were long deceased. Mary had acted as foster-mother to her brother since 1900.
He was wounded and hospitalised three times while serving in France. He was reported missing in action at Bullecourt on 5th May 1917, a week after his promotion to Lance-Corporal. Another soldier, G R North reported seeing him only slightly injured, but no other evidence of his fate could be found. It was not until a Court of Enquiry six months later that he was declared killed.
Strictly war medals and other memorial items went to the eldest surviving brother, declarations of next of kin or will notwithstanding. Mary Pennington wrote to the military authorities claiming to have cared for all her younger siblings after their parents’ deaths and being somewhat aggrieved that her younger brother Arthur was deemed to be more entitled to them. Another older brother had already died in the war. Arthur declined his entitlement in favour of his sister, after a letter was sent to him suggesting that the military’s view was that as foster-mother ‘she seems to have a distinct moral claim to them’.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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