REIDY, Patrick
| Service Number: | 2974 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 58th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Buninyong, Victoria, Australia, 16 September 1883 |
| Home Town: | Bungaree, Moorabool, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Military Hospital, Fovant Wiltshire, England, 2 February 1918, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
Baverstock (St. Edith) Churchyard |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 2974, 58th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 2974, 58th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Sydney |
Help us honour Patrick Reidy's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Enlisted and served as Patrick Wilson
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 35/36 and the son of Andrew and Mary Reidy.
Deaths Mar 1918 Wilson Patrick 35 Wilton 5a 284
Address-Stanwell Park Deviation Works, New South Wales
Age at embarkation-32
Next of kin-Friend, William McCutcheon, 30 Riley Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales
Enlisted as Patrick REIDY, 2 March 1915; discharged, 8 April 1915 (medically unfit: gonorrhoea); re-enlisted as Patrick REIDY, 1 November 1915; discharged, 8 December 1915 ('unlikely to become an efficient soldier').
Enlistment date-5 September 1916
Unit name-58th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number-23/75/4
Embarkation details-Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A19 Afric on 3 November 1916
NAA: B2455, WILSON Patrick
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in UK & Ireland”
Patrick Reidy was born at Buninyong, near Ballarat, Victoria on 16th September, 1883 to parents Andrew & Mary Reidy (nee Breen).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 2nd March, 1915 at Liverpool, Sydney, NSW as a 31 year old, single, Labourer. His next of kin was listed as his brother – Thomas Reidy of Leigh Creek Post Office, Ballarat, Victoria (Both parents were deceased).
Patrick Reidy was posted to “D” Company of 19th Battalion on 2nd March, 1915 & was discharged on 6th April, 1915 as Medically unfit. He had served 41 days in Camp.
On 1st November, 1915 Patrick Reidy re-enlisted at Cootamundra, New South Wales. He was posted to “D” Company, 20th Battalion at Casula, Sydney, NSW & discharged on 8th December, 1915 “Unlikely to become an efficient soldier”.
Patrick Reidy re-enlisted again on 5th September, 1916 at Moore Park, NSW under the name of "Patrick Wilson" He listed his next of kin as his sister Annie Hayes. His service number was 2974.
Private Patrick “Wilson” was posted to Royal Agricultural Show Grounds at Moore Park, Sydney, NSW for recruit training. He was transferred to Dubbo Depot Battalion on 10th September, 1916 then transferred to “B” Company, Depot Battalion at Bathurst, NSW on 22nd September, 1916. Private “Wilson” was transferred to 7th Reinforcements of 58th Battalion at Bathurst on 29th September, 1916 then transferred to Liverpool, Sydney, NSW on 8th October, 1916 still with 7th Reinforcements of 58th Battalion.
On 3rd November, 1916 Private Patrick “Wilson”, Service number 2974, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Afric (A19) on 3rd November, 1916 with 7th Reinforcements of 58th Battalion & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 9th January, 1917. Private “Wilson” was written up for being Absent without Leave whilst on Troopship (stopover) from 11 p.m. on 27th November, 1916 until 2.30 a.m. on 29th November, 1916 for drunkenness. He was awarded 10 days detention & fined a total of 13 days’ pay plus 5/-.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire & also in the county of Dorset.
He was marched in to 15th Training Battalion at Hurdcott, Wiltshire from Australia on 10th January, 1917.
Private “Wilson” proceeded overseas to France from 15th Training Battalion, via Folkestone on 20th March, 1917. He was marched in to 5th A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 21st March, 1917. Private “Wilson” was marched out to his Unit on 23rd March, 1917 & was taken on strength of 58th Battalion in the Field on 26th March, 1917.
Private Patrick “Wilson” was Wounded in Action on 12th May, 1917 at Bullecourt in France. He was admitted to 14th Field Ambulance on 12th May, 1917 with shrapnel wounds to leg & shoulder then transferred to 29th Casualty Clearing Station the same day. Private “Wilson” was transferred to No. 9 Ambulance Train on 13th May, 1917 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to left shoulder & right leg. He was admitted to 22nd General Hospital at Camiers, France on 14th May, 1917 with a gunshot wounds to right leg (calf & muscle wound) & left shoulder. Private “Wilson” embarked from Calais, France on Hospital Ship Newhaven for England on 18th May, 1917.
He was admitted to Horton County of London War Hospital at Epsom, England on 18th May, 1917. Private “Wilson” was transferred to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Middlesex on 6th September, 1917.
From 20th September, 1917 until 4th October, 1917 Private “Wilson” was granted furlo. He was marched in to No. 4 Command Depot at Weymouth, Dorset on 4th October, 1917. Private “Wilson” was transferred to No. 2 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 19th November, 1917.
He was sent sick to Fovant Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 16th January, 1918 with Influenza. Private “Wilson” was reported to be seriously ill with Pneumonia on 17th January, 1918.
Private Patrick Wilson died on 2nd February, 1918 at Military Hospital, Fovant Wiltshire from Pneumonia.
He was buried in St. Edith’s Churchyard, Baverstock, Wiltshire, England where 28 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
On his Attestation Papers for his last enlistment Private “Wilson” had nominated his sister “Annie Hayes” as his next-of-kin. A letter from Miss Annie Reidy explains that at the time of her brother enlisting she was engaged to be married & her brother thought that if he died his sister would have been married – hence the use of Annie Hayes but unfortunately the engagement was ended so she was still Annie Reidy. Annie Reidy did explain in a letter dated 28th September, 1921 that there was an older sister – Mary McDonald who had married & moved to Western Australia before Patrick was born & had told Annie that she would leave all Patrick’s belongings to Annie & not to bother her as she had a family of thirteen children, was in bad health, had five sons at the War & her husband had died.
His Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstone is engraved as “P. Reidy served as 2974 Private P. Wilson”
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/baverstock.html
Click images to start slideshow.