SWEENEY, Ambrose
| Service Number: | 3950 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 August 1915, Holsworthy, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Manly, New South Wales, Australia, 28 April 1892 |
| Home Town: | Manly, Manly Vale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Athanasius School, Manly, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Plumber |
| Died: | Died of wounds – shell wounds to right thigh – severe, Moston, England, United Kingdom, 11 August 1916, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Moston (St. Joseph's) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Lancashire, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Manly War Memorial NSW |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3950, 20th Infantry Battalion, Holsworthy, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3950, 20th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3950, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Sydney | |
| 19 May 1916: | Wounded | |
| 4 Aug 1916: | Wounded Private, 3950, 20th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , 2nd occasion - Shell wound (thigh) | |
| 11 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3950, 20th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Help us honour Ambrose Sweeney's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sean Keogh
"He was wounded at Pozieres on August 4th during the hop-over. I saw him making his way along a sap from the German line to our old front line. I asked him if he had been "knocked". He said "Yes, I ough to get to Blighty". This is the last I know of him beyond the fact that word came to the battn. later that he had died of wounds. He did not appear bad when I saw him. He belonged to VIII pl. B. Coy. and came from Manly, Sydney". - Pte W.H. Boyd 3916 B. Coy, Etaples 14/6/17
From Ambrose Sweeney's Red Cross file: AWM - Red Cross Wounded and Missing (www.awm.gov.au)
Biography
"SWEENEY.- Died from bullet wound received in action in France, Private A. Sweeney, son of Mrs. H, Sweeney, Condamine-street, Manly Vale, aged 24 years." - from the Sydney Morning Herald 23 Aug 1916 (nla.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Ambrose Sweeney was born at Manly, New South Wales in 1892 to parents Hugh and Hannah Sweeney.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 16th August, 1915 as a 23 year old, single, Plumber from Condamine Street, Manly, NSW.
Private Ambrose Sweeney, Service number 3950, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Runic (A54) on 20th January, 1916 & disembarked at Alexandria on 26th February, 1916. He was marched in at Zeitoun on 26th February, 1916.
On 27th March, 1916 Private Sweeney embarked from Alexandria on H.M.T. Saxonia to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 3rd April, 1916. He was posted to A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 5th April, 1916 & was taken on strength with 20th Battalion on 12th May, 1916.
Private Ambrose Sweeney was wounded in action on 19th May, 1916. He was admitted to Field Ambulance & returned to his Battalion on 20th May, 1916. Notification was sent to his mother – Mrs H. Sweeney on 10th June, 1916 that Pte A. Sweeney had been reported wounded.
He was wounded in action on 4th August, 1916. Private Sweeney was admitted to 4th Australian Field Ambulance with gunshot wounds to buttock then transferred to 44th Casualty Clearing Station. Private Sweeney was transferred to 14th General Hospital at Wimereux on 7th August, 1916 & transferred again on 8th August, 1916 to 8th Stationary Hospital. Private Sweeney embarked for England on Hospital Ship Cambria from Boulogne on 8th August, 1916.
On 9th August, 1916 Private Sweeney was admitted to 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester , England with shell wounds to right thigh – severe.
Private Ambrose Sweeney died on 11th August, 1916 at from shrapnel wounds received in action in France – shell wounds to right thigh – severe.
He was buried in St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Moston, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England – Plot number – Soldiers’ Plot 184A (Screen Wall). His death is acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. According to the CWGC the casualties of World War 1 are mostly named on a Screen Wall & there are no headstones for those so named.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/moston.html
Click images to start slideshow.