PERRY, John Ridley
| Service Number: | 12040 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, 1885 |
| Home Town: | Awaba, Lake Macquarie Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Maitland High School, Maitland, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | School teacher |
| Died: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 3 March 1937, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 12040 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 12040, 9th Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 12040, 9th Field Ambulance, HMAT Benalla, Sydney |
My older brother
10202 William Shakespeare Perry joined the AMF on 9.9.1915 aged 28.
Our father was W E Perry, a school teacher at Awaba Public School, Newcastle NSW
He served on the Western Front in France in the 5th Field Artillery Battery.
He was wounded, GSW, on the 10th April 1917, near or about Roeun.
He survived the war..... passing away in 1966 in Sydney.
There is more to his story......
Submitted 11 August 2022 by Anatole Zurrer
Biography contributed by Robert Devlin
John Ridley Perry (1885 to 1937)
John Ridley Perry was born in 1885 in Muswellbrook, New South Wales. A dedicated and capable student, he attended Maitland High School before pursuing a career in education. He began his working life as a teacher, a profession he would return to with great distinction following the First World War.
On 5 October 1915, Perry enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and was posted to the 9th Field Ambulance within the Australian Army Medical Corps. He served in the demanding role of stretcher bearer and medic during the war, a position that required extraordinary courage, strength and resilience. Medics in the First World War often worked in dangerous conditions, retrieving the wounded from the battlefield, administering emergency treatment under fire and helping to save countless lives. Perry’s commitment and skill in this role were widely acknowledged and deeply respected.
During his military service on the Western Front, Perry was wounded multiple times. He suffered from shell shock and later sustained severe gunshot wounds to his head, arms and left forearm. At one point, his injuries were so grave that fellow soldiers believed he would not survive. Despite these hardships, Perry continued to serve until he was medically discharged in 1920.
Returning to civilian life, Perry resumed his teaching career with the same dedication he had shown on the battlefield. He taught at a number of schools across Sydney, including the Deaf Dumb and Blind Institution, Burwood and Summer Hill Intermediate High Schools, Ultimo Central Technical School and Technical High School. He also served at Fort Street High School from 1929 to 1932, where he was known for his calm demeanour, kindness and ability to inspire his students. His final teaching appointment was at Sydney Technical High School from 1935 to 1936, where he continued to have a significant impact on the school community.
Though he lived with the long term effects of his war injuries, Perry never allowed this to diminish his generosity or his commitment to education. Students and colleagues alike remembered him as cheerful, patient and quietly courageous.
John Ridley Perry passed away on 3 March 1937 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. His death was a shock to many who were unaware of the extent to which his war wounds had continued to affect him. He is remembered not only for his bravery during the war but also for his lasting influence as a compassionate and dedicated educator. His legacy lives on in the lives of the many students he taught and the communities he served, both in times of war and peace.
Lest We Forget.
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