DUNSDON, Richard George
| Service Number: | 433 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 October 1914, Enlisted at Brisbane, QLD |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Aldershot, England, United Kingdom, 1879 |
| Home Town: | Booval, Ipswich, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, 30 April 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave Panel 44 Originally buried at Quinn's Post but grave later lost. Rev. F.W. Wray officiated, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Booval War Memorial, Ipswich Methodist Church Great War Honour Roll, Ipswich Soldier's Memorial Hall Great War, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Nanango War Memorial, Yarraman War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 433, 15th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Brisbane, QLD | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 433, 17th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 433, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 17 Feb 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 30 Apr 1915: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 433, 15th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 433 awm_unit: 15th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1915-04-30 |
Help us honour Richard George Dunsdon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Richard James and Sarah Ann Dunsdon of Booval, QLD. Step-son of Frances Sarah Dunsdon
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Ian Lang
#433 DUNSDON Richard George 15th Battalion
Richard Dunsdon was born at Aldershot, Hampshire to parents Richard and Sarah Dunsdon in 1879. In 1884, the Dunsdon family comprising Richard senior and Sarah, Richard George (aged 4) and John (an infant) boarded the “Duke of Westminster” in Plymouth for the voyage to Brisbane. Upon landing the family would appear to have made their way to the Ipswich suburb of Booval where presumably Richard and his brother John attended school when old enough. At some stage, Sarah Dunsdon died and Richard snr married Frances who was described as Richard’s step mother.
When Richard attended the Brisbane recruiting depot on 13th October 1914, he stated his age as 35 years and his occupation is listed as labourer. Given that Richard is commemorated on both the Yarraman and Nanango War Memorials, it is possible that he worked at itinerant jobs such as railway construction or timber getting in the South Burnett area. Richard named his father, Richard senior of Booval as his next of kin. He also advised that he had served with the Citizens Forces Light Horse for 18 months prior to enlisting.
Richard reported to the Enoggera Camp where he was drafted into “C” Company of the 15th Infantry Battalion on 13rd October 1914. The 15th Battalion, which was being raised as one of the two Queensland battalions that would make up the first contingent, was composed of eight companies; six coming from Queensland and two from Tasmania. The Queenslanders were under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan, a well-known Brisbane businessman and officer of the volunteer defence force. Training was provided by civilian rifle club members at Enoggera and once sufficient recruits had been processed, the battalion embarked on a number of route marches to Sandgate with an overnight bivouac.
In early December, the battalion travelled by train over several days to Broadmeadows near Melbourne where the Tasmanian companies joined the battalion. The complete 15th then joined the other three battalions to form the 4th Brigade of the AIF commanded by Colonel John Monash. The 15th boarded the “Ceramic” in Port Melbourne on 22nd December 1914 and sailed for Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on 3rdFebruary 1915.
The first contingent of the AIF, comprising three brigades, had been in Egypt since December 1914, and had been training as a division. It was decided that the 4th Brigade would join with the New Zealand contingent to create the New Zealand and Australian Division. The 15th marched into the Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo and began intensive training for the next two months. On 17th February, Richard was promoted to Lance Corporal.
On 14th April 1915, the 15th boarded two troop ships, the “Australind” and the “Seang Bee” for the voyage to the Greek island of Lemnos where the invasion force of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was being assembled at Mudros Harbour in preparation for the assault on the Gallipoli Peninsula. There was insufficient room for all of the Australian and New Zealand force to be billeted on shore and so the late arrivals, such as the 15th Battalion, remained on board the transports while practicing boat and landing drills.
At dawn on the 25th April, the 15th Battalion set sail for the beaches of Gallipoli. Those on board the “Australind” stood off the beach at Cape Helles and observed the British landings there before sailing north to Gaba Tepe where the “Seang Bee” was waiting. The entire battalion was disembarked during the night of the 25th/26th April and bivouacked in a gully until dawn when the troops moved up the gully to relieve the exhausted men who had been holding the precarious position at Pope’s Hill since the previous morning. For the next few days, companies of the 15th Battalion were moved up to reinforce various positions that were coming under attack by the Turkish defenders. On 30th April, “C” Company, under the leadership of Captain Quinn (who would have another post named after him) were positioned on the left of another battalion when there was a flurry of offensive activity forcing the withdrawal of “C” Company. It was probably during this action that Richard Dunsdon was killed.
Richard was reported killed in action and was buried near Quinn’s Post with a clergyman in attendance. The only item of a personal nature returned to the family at Booval was an identity disc. Richard senior and Frances, Richard’s step mother, both were granted a pension of 26 pounds per annum.
When the Australian Graves Team returned to Gallipoli at the end of the war, no trace of Richard’s grave was found. This was the case for many of the graves located on the ridges. Richard Dunsdon is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial together with five thousand names of men who have no known grave or were buried at sea.