CUNNINGHAM, Patrick John
| Service Number: | 1139 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 38th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | 24 December 1892, place not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Nhill, Hindmarsh, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Melbourne High School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | School Teacher (Head Teacher) |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 17 July 1917, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bass Glen Forbes Heroes Pictorial Roll of Honour, Bass Glen Forbes Roll of Honor WW1, Euroa Telegraph Park, Grantville Glen Forbes State School Honor Roll WW1, Netherby Baker State School Roll of Honor, Netherby District Honor Roll, Parkville Old State College Memorial Windows |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 1139, 38th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 1139, 38th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Melbourne | |
| 17 Jul 1917: | Involvement 1139, 38th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1139 awm_unit: 38th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-07-17 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Andreena Hockley
Patrick John Cunningham, prior to enlisting, held the position of head teacher at Glen Forbes.
He was born on the 24th of December, 1892. He attended the Melbourne High School in 1909-10-11, gained a studentship, and, in 1912, entered the Teachers' College. He was head teacher at School 3117, Peechember West, in 1914, and assistant at Benalla and head teacher at Glen Forbes in the same year. He is recorded as a teacher whose work was thoughtfully prepared and well applied.
He enlisted on the 29th of January, 1916, and embarked with the 38th Battalion on the transport Runic on the 20th of June. After a period of training in England, he went with his unit to France on the 22nd of November. He was promoted Corporal on the 23rd of January, 1917, and Lance-Sergeant on the 4th of May. He was killed in action on the 17th of July.
His widow, formerly Miss Stella Tobitt, once a pupil at the Melbourne High School, received a letter from one of his comrades - F. O'Collins also a teacher. Part of it runs thus:
"On the 17th July, he left my dug-out to go to the office, a strong, concrete building some 15 yards away. We had had a particularly bright and cheery talk that morning, our last words referring to the happy reunion at the College in days to come, where so many of our finest men will be present in spirit alone. A little later, a heavy bombardment of our trenches took place. It was during this that Pat, along with two officers, the C.S.M., and a private, was killed. A shell struck the office, killing them all instantaneously. .....It was a great shock to me, one of the keenest I have ever felt, for Pat was a grand fellow. He appeared to me to have changed, being quieter and finer. He had spent a month in the trenches. To the men of his company he was a great loss, one that will never be replaced. He was considered by all to be the finest man in the company. He would do the humblest duties for the comfort of the men. As one said, 'Pat had a smile and a good act for every one." His reward should be a great one, and, though we miss his person so much, he may still be a great help to all of us. His body now lies buried in a little cemetery in the small town behind the lines. May his soul rest in peace."
Source: The Education Department's Record of War Service, Victoria, 1914-1919.
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