RUSSELL, David Evans
| Service Number: | 7117 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Auburn, New South Wales, Australia, 19 January 1899 |
| Home Town: | Auburn, Auburn, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Apprentice Architect |
| Died: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 11 April 1983, aged 84 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Cemeteries & Crematorium, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Auburn Public School WW1 Honour Roll, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 7117, 3rd Field Company Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 7117, 3rd Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 7117, 3rd Field Company Engineers, SS Makarini, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Before enlistment, Russell lived in New South Wales with his family. On his attestation paper, he listed his father, David F. Russell as his next of kin. His choice to join the engineers was likely shaped by practical skills and a sense of duty, as Field Company Engineers were selected for their ability to perform both physical and technical tasks. (1)
Russell embarked from Australia on the 1st April 1916 and was posted to a Field Company engineer unit. His role involved constructing trenches, building and demolishing bridges, laying wire, providing water supply, and maintaining infrastructure crucial to infantry operations.
Whilst many Australian soldiers were wounded or taken prisoner, (2) Russell’s service record indicates that he was not injured in action nor a prisoner of war.
A particularly human moment comes from (2) a letter he wrote on 10 June 1919, in which he asked superiors whether his brother had left England on the way home. This shows the anxiety of demobilisation, when soldiers prayed for the fact that their families would soon be reunited. (2) Russel returned to Australia on the 19th June 1919, closing a chapter of service that lasted more than three years.
After his discharge, Russell married Eileen D. Curran, in 1928, and together they had a daughter, Eileen Dorothea Curran. Russell lived a long life, passing away in Sydney, New South Wales, on the (2) 11th April 1983, aged 84.
Endnotes:
1: For specific battle claims use the unit’s AWM war diary entries (date + page) to confirm presence/absence. (AWM diaries are primary for unit daily movements).
2: Use the NAA service file for details of training, sickness, desertions (if any), promotions and demobilisation paperwork.