24732
KIRBY, Richard William
| Service Numbers: | 1613, S72753 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Squadron |
| Born: | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 1 October 1892 |
| Home Town: | Whyalla (Formerly Hummock's Hill), Whyalla, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Nuriootpa, South Australia, 24 October 1977, aged 85 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia Rose Garden Memorial Sites CDA 1 with wife Margaret Elizabeth Alice KIRBY who died 18-4-1999 aged 92 years |
| Memorials: | Murray Bridge Roll of Honour WW1, Willunga Cheer Up Society Pictorial Honour Board, Willunga War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1613, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1613, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 30 Oct 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1613, 1st Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations |
World War 2 Service
| 22 Apr 1942: | Involvement Private, S72753 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Whyalla, SA | |
| 22 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, S72753 | |
| 5 Nov 1945: | Discharged |
Help us honour Richard William Kirby's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Peter Cates
Rihard was the younger brother of Thomas Edward Kirby who also served and both were living at Monteith when war was declared. Richard was the first to sign up in Adlaide, aged 22. His parents moved around, this time to Elim Park, Willunga, where they ran a dairy.
Pte Kirby contracted meningitis on the ship and on arrival in Eygpt was admitted to hostpital, dangerously ill. He later developed other medical conditions and was declared unfit for full military duties, so spent the rst of the war in various camps in Egypt mostly working in stores.
When Richard returned home, he eventually moved to Brisbane. He married Jean Allan Wauchope McDonald in 1924.
Excerpt from the Book "A Picture of Fortitude" with approval by The Willunga Recreational Park.
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