GULLEN, Richard John Henry
| Service Number: | 6307 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 October 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 18th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia, 14 June 1895 |
| Home Town: | Grenfell, Weddin, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Erskineville Superior Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway Messenger and Electrical Switcher |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 21 September 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grenfell Great War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6307, 18th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 6307, 18th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 6307, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 6307, 18th Infantry Battalion, Died of wounds at the 17th Casualty Clearing Station. |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Richard John Henry GULLEN was born on 14 June 1895 at Grenfell, NSW. However, he went to school in Sydney, at Erskineville Superior Public School, which would have been near where his family was living. He joined the NSWGR&T on 4 October 1912 as a messenger in the Locomotive Branch at Eveleigh. This was the start of quite varied employment with the NSWGR&T. His first change was to the Railways Electrical Engineers Branch on 20 January 1913 where he was employed as a switcher but he went back to his previous position of messenger on 16 November 1913.
On 9 July 1914 he resigned, only to be re-employed on 24 November 1914, this time as a shop boy in the Electric Tramways at Randwick. His position changed to labourer, also in the Electric Tramways at Randwick on 14 June 1916 and on 30 October 1916 he joined the AIF.
On 20 September 1917 he was wounded in action in Belgium, receiving a gunshot wound to the thigh. He was evacuated to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds the following day, 21 September 1917.
Submitted 8 August 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Richard John Henry GULLEN was born on 14th June 1895 at Grenfell, NSW. However, he went to school in Sydney, at Erskineville Superior Public School. He joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways on 4th October 1912 as a messenger in the Locomotive Branch at Eveleigh. He changed to the Railways Electrical Engineers Branch on 20th January 1913 where he was employed as a switcher. He went back to his previous position of messenger on 16th November 1913.
On 9th July 1914 he resigned, only to be re-employed on 24th November 1914, this time as a shop boy in the Electric Tramways at Randwick. His position changed to labourer, also in the Electric Tramways at Randwick on 14th June 1916.
On 30 October 1916 he joined the AIF.
Richard joined with the rank of Private (Service Number 6307) and was posted to the 18th Reinforcements to the 18th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his mother, Catherine Mary Gullen, as his next of kin. At this time the family was living at Croydon, NSW. A note on his Attestation Paper dated 17th January 1917 indicates that by this date his father had died and his mother had re-married. Her surname had changed to Godden, and she was living at a different address in Croydon.
He embarked for England aboard HMAT A29 ‘Suevic’ from Sydney on 11th November 1916. He disembarked at Devonport, England on 30th January 1917. On arrival he was sent to the 5th Training Battalion at Rolleston for further training before leaving for France on 3rd May 1917. In France he joined the 18th Infantry Battalion on 20th May 1917.
On 20th September 1917 he was wounded in action in Belgium, receiving a gunshot wound to the thigh. He was evacuated to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds the following day, 21st September 1917.
Richard’s grave is in the Lijssenhoek Military Cemetery, Lijssenhoek, Flanders, Belgium. On advice from his mother, the Australian War Memorial gives his place of association as Grenfell, NSW.
After his death his mother was granted a pension of £2 per fortnight, with effect from 1st December 1917.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board