Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Picture shows
Pte Delaney embarked with the 17th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT
Summary
Studio portrait of 5363 Private (Pte) John Delaney, 14th Battalion. A labourer from Nirranda, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Delaney embarked with the 17th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Port Lincoln on 4 April 1916. Later wounded in action, he was evacuated to England. Following his recovery, he rejoined his battalion and was wounded in action for the second time. Once more evacuated to England, he returned to Australia on 8 January 1919. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had a concession to take photographs at the Broadmeadows and Seymour army camps during the First World War. In the 1930s, the Australian War Memorial purchased the original glass negatives from Algernon Darge, along with the photographers' notebooks. The notebooks contain brief details, usually a surname or unit name, for each negative.

Margaret Couch and John Delaney.
Some History by Annie Brumby-Delaney.
John and Margaret were married in 1917 before he embarked for overseas.
Like most wives, Margaret would have been praying and waiting patiently for his safe return.
John Delaney, Ceasar as he was known, joined the 14th Battalion.
A labourer from Nirranda, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Delaney 5363 Private (Pte) embarked with the 17th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Port Lincoln on 4 April 1916, at the age of 21 years five months, seven months after his brother Bob.
He proceeded overseas in July 1917 and in September 1917 was wounded in the head, neck and chest in the field near Etaples. In January 1918, while recuperating in London, he went AWL and forfeited 11 days pay.
Returning to battle in France, it appears that he joined brother Bob in the 14th battalion in the trenches. Come one evening during this exercise, it was decided that the infantry group would camp in a school building.
Caesar made the comment that if Fritz put a shell into the building they would all be killed. He decided to sleep in a haystack along with a few other soldiers.
During that night in May 1918 a shell hit the building and his brother, Robert (Bob) and many others were killed.
Some months later, in July 1918, Caesar was still fighting in the trenches and was wounded in action a second time, in the side and chest.
He spent two days in extremely cold, wet and muddy conditions before receiving medical help.
Following his recovery, he was invalided out, returned to Australia in January 1919.
John returned to his love, Margaret Delaney (nee Couch) on the 8th January 1919.
I am sure it would have been a lovely surprise.
He was discharged in April 1919.
On returning to Nirranda, they farmed part of the original Delaney selection, allotment 76B. Later on they took up a selection of 262 acres (allotment 102 in the Parish of Nirranda) on what is now known as Whiskey Creek Road.
Together they had three children
John William Delaney (born 1921) married Phyllis Maude Thomas.
Leo Joseph Delaney (born 1925) married Wilma Jenkins
Francis Raymond (born 1935) married Patricia Walker.
Margaret died in 1948 and John in 1973. They are buried in the Warrnambool Cemetery in grave number 21-32A.
Picture and some information supplied by Annie Brumby Delaney
Picture Repaired
Less We Forget