Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Connell Roney.
George was the oldest son of Henry Brookman Roney and Mary Anne Connell.

He was born in Port Melbourne sometime in 1894 and he was killed in action during the first World War in France on the 19th July 1916 at the Battle of Fromelles. George enlisted in the 7 July 1915. He was 23 years old. He joined the 59th Battalion, AIF on 26 Feb 1916. He was made a Lance Corporal at Duntroon on the 26th April 2016. A month later, at his own request, he reverted to a Private. On 29 June 1916, he disembarked at Marseilles, France . Less than a month later he was reported missing in action at Fromelles and soon after pronounced killed in action.

In response to a query from the Red Cross in relation to the missing George Roney, Corporeal R.E. Poulter responded with the following;
“With the exception of Roney who was in C Co. all of the above belonged to B. Co., I knew them all. They all went over the top on 19th July at Fromelles. We had 440 yards to cross under heavy fire and a creek to get over in the bargain. None of these men answered roll call. In my own mind they were all killed. We could not get any bodies in, most of which lay 100 yards out in No Man's Land.”
In recent years many of the lost soldiers have been found through DNA testing of remains found in mass graves. In 2015 George is still Missing in Action. The Australian War Memorial article, Disaster at Fromelles describes the battle of Fromelles.

We can only guess at the feelings of loss that enveloped the whole family at that time. Many of us in this family have the hope and belief that George was united again with his family and that in the eternities the wounds of loss can be healed. Let's not let George be lost to us.