S2551
DUNBAR, Irwin
| Service Numbers: | 3691, 3691R |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 August 1915, in Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Glasgow, Scotland, 19 January 1889 |
| Home Town: | Mile End, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3691, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), in Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3691, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Malwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 2 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3691, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), RMS Malwa, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement 3691R |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide High School
Irwin Dunbar was born on the 19th of January 1889 in Glasgow, Scotland to his mother Annie Dunbar. At the age of 26 Irwin Dunbar enlisted in Adelaide, South Australia. He embarked on the RMS Malwa on 2nd of December 1915 in Adelaide. He was a part of World War 1 that occurred from 1914 to 1918. Before he enlisted, he worked as a labourer.
Irwin Dunbar was in the 16 Infantry Battalion – 12 Reinforcement unit and a part of the Australian Imperial Force. He served in Egypt, Belgium, and France. Pozieres is a small village in the Somme valley in France where he was badly wounded in the back on the 6th of August 1916. The battle of Pozieres took place from the 23rd of July 1916 to the 7th of August 1916. The Australian 1st and 2nd Divisions captured Pozieres village and Pozieres heights. The 1st Division captured the German front line and in the following hour reached the main road through Pozieres. At dawn, the Germans counter-attacked but the Australians held on.
The 2nd Division were then ordered to take Pozieres heights. The attack commenced but the Germans were ready and the attack failed at a cost of 3,500 Australians. The 4th Division then took over. In the fighting at Pozieres the Australian divisions suffered 23,000 casualties. Of these, 6,800 men were killed or died of wounds.
After recovering from his wound, Irwin was detached for duty with the Ordnance Corps. He survived the war and returned to Australia on the 18th of December 1919.
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