Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ronald James Hanretty

(21 April 1918 – 3 January 1966)

Early Life

Ronald James Hanretty was born on 21 April 1918 in Adelaide, South Australia, the son of Stephen Daniel Hanretty and Mary Agnes (née Perry). He grew up in the inner western suburbs of Adelaide, with records placing his family at 41 Cowra Street, Mile End during his early adulthood.

By the late 1930s, Ronald was employed as a machinist, a skilled trade that would later be recorded in his military enlistment papers. Electoral rolls from 1941 and 1943 confirm his residence in Mile End and his occupation in the engineering trade.

Military Service (World War II)

Ronald enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 6 August 1940 at Southwark, South Australia, at the age of 22. He was assigned Service Number S30285 and served as a Private, later associated with the 27th Battalion.

During his service, Ronald was posted within Australia, including movements through South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, reflecting the defensive role of Australian forces during the war years.

His service record documents:

Training and unit movements across multiple military districts
Periods of hospitalisation for illness
A disciplinary entry for disobeying a lawful command (minor and not uncommon in wartime service records)

Marriage During Service

On 26 April 1943, while still serving, Ronald married Isabelle Constance Vogt at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Adelaide. Following their marriage, records show their residence at 63 Palmerston Road, North Unley.

Medical Discharge

Ronald’s military career was significantly affected by health issues. His records show repeated hospital admissions, and later entries document a diagnosis of:

“Psychotic depression”

As a result, he was formally assessed under military regulations and classified as medically unfit for further service.

He was honourably discharged on 30 October 1944 at Wayville, South Australia, under:

Australian Military Regulations & Orders (AMR&O) 184a (I)(d) – Medically Unfit

His final classification was:

Medical Class: D (Permanently Unfit)
Total service: 1,057 days (nearly three years)

At the time of discharge, his recorded physical description was:

Height: 5 ft 8½ in
Hair: Light brown
Eyes: Brown
Complexion: Fair

Later Life

Following his discharge, Ronald returned to civilian life in Adelaide, residing with his wife at North Unley, and later at Somerton Park, as recorded at the time of his death.

While detailed records of his post-war life are limited, it is evident that his military service had a lasting impact on his health, as reflected in the circumstances of his discharge.

Death

Ronald James Hanretty died on 3 January 1966 at Daw Park, South Australia, aged 48 years.

He was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, South Australia, in the Catholic Section D, Path DD, Site 58, where he rests alongside his wife, Isabelle Constance Hanretty.

Legacy

Ronald’s story reflects that of many Australian servicemen of the Second World War—men who served their country during a time of global conflict and returned home carrying the lasting effects of their experiences.

Though his military service ended prematurely due to illness, his contribution forms part of the broader history of Australia’s wartime generation.

Sources

National Archives of Australia (NAA):

Service Record – Ronald James Hanretty (S30285), B884 Series
South Australian Birth Index:

Hanretty, Ronald James – Book/Page 17A/156
South Australian Marriage Index:

Hanretty / Vogt – 17 April 1943, Adelaide (Book/Page 456/2147)
South Australian Death Index:

Hanretty, Ronald James – 3 January 1966, Age 48 (Book/Page 4A/201)
Electoral Rolls (1941–1943):

Mile End & Thebarton districts, South Australia
Centennial Park Cemetery Records:

Interment – Catholic Section D, Path DD, Site 58

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 25/04/2026