Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Father Jerimiah Joseph Sheehy, lived 21 Green Street, Brompton (d. 14/10/1936 71yrs)
Mother Mary Agnes Sheehy, 21 Green Street, Brompton, SA (d. 12/9/1950 84yrs)
both buried: b. West Tce Cemetery Section: Catholic Western Ground; Row: O; Site #: 190 

Son:  Master William Francis Eldridge (Ryles) (b. 1914 - d. 1964)
         (Pension given to him, via mother)
         (Rootsweb ID: I496247 Birth Record 28/3/1914 in York, Adelaide, SA (now Beverley)
(living with mother Miss Mabel Jessie Eldridge, Wilpena Terrace, Kilkenny, SA -
Rootsweb ID: I646290 Birth Record 20/6/1897 in York, Adelaide, SA (now Beverley)
1917 - married  Arthur Harold Ryles (b.1898 - d. 1971)
died.  1981

Brother: 1986 Francis Gerald Sheehy
               Private in 48th Battalion
              14/4/1916   enlisted in Adelaide, SA
              13/7/1916   embarked from Port Adelaide, SA, onboard HMAT A48 Seang Bee
                                Private in 48th Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement
               9/9/1916    disembarked Rlymouth, England
               1/8/1919    returned to Australia onboard Argylshire, ex England
               18/9/1919  disembarked into Australia
               2/11/1919  discharged from service
               12/9/1933  passed away at Brompton Park
               buried in:    West Terrace Cemetery - AIF Cemetery
                                 Section: Light Oval; Row: 9N; C/E/W: W; Site #: 15

Uncle:   3904 James Sheehy  (brother to father Jerimiah)
             Driver in 10th Battalion
             2/8/1915    enlisted
             2/12/1915  embarked at Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide, SA, onboard RMS Malwa
             12/4/1919  returned to Australia
             4/3/1943    passed away (58yrs of age)
             buried in:    West Terrace Cemetery - AIF Cemetery
                               Section: Light Oval; Row: 4S; C/E/W: C; Site #: 3

 
William was described on enlisting as 20yrs 5mths old; 5' 5.5" tall; 124 lbs;
fair complexion; blue eyes; brown hair; Roman Catholic

3/8/1915      enlisted in Adelaide, SA

11/8/1915    appointed to D Company, 2nd Depot Battalion

1/10/1915    appointed to 6th reinforcements/27th Infantry Battalion

27/10/1915  embarked from outer harbour, SA, on board HMAT A24 Benalla
                  

28/2/1916    transferred to 10th Infantry Battalion, Serapeum
29/2/1916    alloted to and proceeded to join 10th Battalion, ex Zeitoun

29/3/1916    proceeded to join British Expeditionary Froces, ex Alexandria
3/4/1916      disembarked into Marseilles, France

27/6/1916    Hysteria (in the field) - admited to No.3 Field Ambulance
                   transferred to DRS, France
1/7/1916      discharged from 1st Division Rest Station, France - to duty

24/7/1916    under heavy shell fire at Pozieres, France

Witness:  3904 Private James Sheehy - UNCLE, stated:
 "I saw him killed by the explosion of a bomb, which he struck with his pick, when
  digging a sap at Pozieres on 24th July 1916.  He was my own brother's son.
  I saw him buried close to the parpet.  I have written home to his people.  The
  ground was held at the time.  I was an eye witness."

Witness:  2618 Private Henry Courtenay stated:
 "I was in the next section of the trench, when Jimmy Hayes sang out to me that
 'Goldie had got it'.  He and a Pioneer were both killed at the same time, they 
  were digging the trench deeper, and when of the men struck a bomb with his pick.
  The body was put out over the trench, and no doubt buried their by Pioneers
  attached to the Battalion."

Witness:  Sergeant Dave Morton stated:
 "He got killed on 24.7.16 and he is not buried in a registered cemetery. But I buried
  him myself in No Man's Land, this side of Pozieres, along side of a trench calld
  Black Watch Avenue.  I cannot give any description of him for not knowing him
  personally, but I can remember him because we were under shell fire at the time.
  I always keep an account of all I bury."

24/7/1915    Killed in Action - Pozieres, France
                   No known grave

Commemorated on Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Commemorated on Panel 60 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.

Commemorated at brother 1986 Francis Gerald Sheehy's grave:
West Terrace Cemetery - AIF Cemetery
Section: Light Oval; Row: 9N; C/E/W: W; Site #: 15

Medals:          1914/15 Star (22330), British War medal (22804), Victory medal (22635)

                    Memorial Plaque and Scroll (306035)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  26/5/2016.  Lest we forget.