LYNCH, Walter Hilary
| Service Numbers: | 1943, 1943A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 34th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Nyngan, New South Wales, Australia, 28 February 1897 |
| Home Town: | Nyngan, Bogan, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Josephs Catholic School Nyngan |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 1943, 54th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 1943, 54th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Barambah, Sydney | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 1943A, 34th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1943A awm_unit: 34th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-07 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
1943 Private Walter Hilary Lynch was born in Nyngan, NSW, and attended St Josephs Catholic School in the town. He enlisted in February 1916, age 18 years and 11 months, and was sent overseas during June 1916, with reinforcements for the 54th Battalion. He transferred to the 34th Battalion and was killed in action during the attack on Messines, 7 June 1917. A witness to his death, 1903 Driver Joseph Cluff, 34th Battalion, stated in Lynch’s Red Cross file, “he was of a stout build, about 5’ 6 “ and fair complexion, and came from Dubbo district. On 7th June, 1917 the battalion was in action at Messines. They hopped over at 3 am and about 6 hours later, before they had made much progress, Lynch was killed outright by a shell. Lynch was buried in a shell hole near where he was killed. A Padre reading the Service, and according to Cluff, Lynch was well thought of by his mates.” Walter’s cousin 1946 William John Lynch also of the 34th Battalion, from Wellington NSW, was also killed in action the same day. A total of 36 men from the 34th Battalion were killed on the 7 June 1917, the attack on Messines Ridge.
His father was 6957 Private John Hilary Lynch, who worked as a butcher for Walter Finn’s butchers, at Nyngan, and John enlisted the day after his son was killed, though he could not have known it at the time. He gave his age as 43 years and 8 months, and left Australia with part of the 20th Battalion in July 1917. He served in France for most of 1918, until severely wounded on the 11 August 1918 with various multiple shrapnel wounds, the worst one penetrating his abdomen, and he died as a result over a month later, 13 September, 1918.