SULLIVAN, Francis Joseph
| Service Number: | 3906 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia, 18 March 1890 |
| Home Town: | Waterloo, Walcha, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Vincent's Boys' School, Redfern, and Holy Cross College, Ryde. |
| Occupation: | Time collector |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 16 July 1918, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Municipality Of Waterloo Roll of Service No. 1 |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1916: | Involvement 3906, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Jan 1916: | Embarked 3906, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Sydney | |
| 16 Jul 1918: | Involvement Private, 3906, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3906 awm_unit: 17th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-07-16 |
WW1
The details provided are taken from the book "Stealth Raiders - a few daring men in 1918" written by Lucas Jordan, published 2017, refer to page 276. Prior to the war he was a time collector of Waterloo NSW. He enlisted 15th Oct 1915 aged 25 years. Unfortunately, he was Killed In Action 16th July 1918. Rest In Peace - Lest We Forget
Submitted 5 April 2020 by Maxwell HILL
Biography contributed by Robert Kearney
Substantive Private - Acting Sergeant
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Francis Joseph SULLIVAN (Service Number 3906) was born on 18th March 1890 at Waterloo. He began working for the NSW Tramways as a linesman’s labourer based at Ultimo on 21st September 1911. He was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 15th October 1915. He enlisted at the Royal Agricultural Society Showgrounds at Moore Park Sydney the same day. He was not married and gave his mother Margaret living in Elizabeth Street Waterloo as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 9th Reinforcements to the 17th Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Runic’ at Sydney on 20th January 1916 and reached Alexandria on 26th February 1916. He remained in Egypt for only a month and re-embarked from Alexandria on 27th March for passage to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France. He passed through Marseilles on 3rd April and was taken on strength of the 2nd Australian Division at Etaples the next day.
In June he was admitted to the 26th General Hospital dangerously ill with pneumonia. He was evacuated to England on the Hospital Ship ‘Stad Antwerpen’ and admitted to Colchester Hospital and then to a convalescent hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom. He had recovered well enough by September to be given furlough on the 20th of that month but was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 3rd October with bronchitis. He was not discharged from the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital until 11th November 1916.
In March he was reclassified as not fit for front line duties. He spent most of 1917 in England. On 2nd September was charged with the crime that he had neglected to obey a direct order in that at Andover he was improperly dressed wearing a Collar and Tie! For this he was reprimanded by Major S Grilles.
On 15th November 1917 he proceeded once again to France and re-joined the 17th Battalion on 21st November. In March 1918 he was accidentally injured with a strained back. This required admission to the 5th Field Ambulance, the 53rd General Hospital at Boulonge and the 10th Convalescent Depot at Ecault.
He did not re-join the Battalion until 15th June. He was killed in action in France on 16th July.
Pte Johnson (7062) reported:
‘At Villers Bretonneux we were making a raid on one of Fritz’s outposts and he was killed by a Stick Bomb. I was on the raid and saw him killed. We took that post – went on took another. Stretcher bearers took him back and they told me he was buried. I knew him well and asked about him.’
He was buried on the battlefield at map reference Sheet 1/20,000 62 D. SE 26 b 3.3. This location was not later disturbed by fighting and was located after the war. Sullivan’s remains were exhumed and re-interred in the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery. (Australian Memorial Cemetery) 1½ miles north of Villers-Bretonneux and 1½ miles south west of Corbie.
- Based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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