Peter Richard O'CONNOR MM

Peter Richard O'CONNOR MM Update Details

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O'CONNOR, Peter Richard

Service Numbers:	647, 86488
Enlisted:	26 February 1915, Enlisted at Sydney, NSW
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	Special Services AIF
Born:	Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia, 18 June 1893
Home Town:	Narrabri, Narrabri, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Tram Conductor
Died:	Result of car accident, Queensland, Australia, 28 December 1920, aged 27 years
Cemetery:	Muttaburra Cemetery, Barcaldine Region, Queensland Section: Eastern Central, Grave 9.
Memorials:	Narrabri District School WW1 Honour Roll and Drinking Fountain

World War 1 Service

26 Feb 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 647, 17th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Sydney, NSW
12 May 1915:	Embarked Private, 647, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Sydney
12 May 1915:	Involvement Private, 647, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: ''
9 Oct 1917:	Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 647, 17th Infantry Battalion, Wound to the right hand.
14 Oct 1917:	Honoured Military Medal, Report reads: During the attack on 9th October 1917, on Passchendaele Ridge after the advancing troops had been held up by machine guns and rifle fire he went forward and captured 12 prisoners. Immediately afterwards he again went forward with an Officer of the 20th Battalion who was almost immediately killed, and he again succeeded in capturing 6 prisoners single handed. This man was No. 2 on a Lewis Gun and shortly after the second batch of prisoners had been taken to the rear the Corporal in charge of his gun ran out of ammunition. Private O'Connor remembered seeing several panniers of ammunition lying near a hedge which the Germans were holding. He went forward and brought back the panniers thereby rendering great assistance to his comrades. When he was returning with this ammunition he was wounded in the hand but refused to have it dressed until the ammunition had been handed to the Corporal in charge of the gun. London Gazette on 14 January 1918, page 846, position 116 Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 23 May 1918, page 1124, position 137
11 Jul 1918:	Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 647, 17th Infantry Battalion, Discharged at the 2nd Military District
30 Sep 1919:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 86488, Special Services AIF, Enlisted at Sydney, NSW
14 Oct 1919:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 86488, Special Services AIF, Embarked HT Rugia at Sydney
8 Apr 1920:	Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 86488, Special Services AIF, Discharged at the 2nd Military District

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Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of James O'Connor and Catherine O'Connor of Catherine O'Connor, Maitland Street, Narrabri, NSW.

Commenced return to Australia on 9 May 1918 aboard HT Suevic disembarking on 8 June 1918

Medals: Military Medal, 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Commenced returned to Australia (second time) on 22 January 1920 aboard HT Friedrichsruh disembaring on 12 March 1920.

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