William John DENNEHY

William John DENNEHY Update Details

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DENNEHY, William John

Service Number:	1730
Enlisted:	28 January 1915
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	3rd Infantry Battalion
Born:	Redfern, New South Wales, Australia, 1894
Home Town:	Redfern, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling:	Patrician Brothers, Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Engineer
Died:	Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 7 August 1915
Cemetery:	Lone Pine Cemetery, ANZAC Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

World War 1 Service

28 Jan 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1730, 3rd Infantry Battalion
17 Mar 1915:	Involvement Private, 1730, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: ''
17 Mar 1915:	Embarked Private, 1730, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Sydney
7 Aug 1915:	Involvement ANZAC / Gallipoli

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

William John Dennehy joined the 3rd Battalion at Anzac on the 31 May 1915. He was killed in action at Lone Pine on 7 August 1915. To the consternation of his parents, he was first reported missing on that date and it was not until June 1916 that he was confirmed as killed in action. An eye witness stated his “body was seen lying outside the parapet of the trenches near Lone Pine on the 8 August 1915. The witness reached out and took off Dennehy’s hat in order to make sure of who it was. The body was still lying there with the feet towards the trenches on 9th August when the witness came away wounded.” Another witness stated he saw Dennehy hit by a bullet and killed instantly on the 8th August 1915. He was 21 years of age.

His younger brother, 5686 Pte. Allan Henry Dennehy, 4th Battalion AIF, was killed in action at Velu, France, 18 April, 1917, age 20.

William Dennehy’s body was found and identified by his watch and colour patch during 1921, and his remains were interred in the Lone Pine Cemetery. The watch was sent to his parents at the same time.

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