Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Also served in WW1, Gunner S.N. 1202, 2nd Light Horse Regiment transferring to 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, AIF.

He enlisted in the South African (Boer) War and WW1 under the name James Felix Regan, however, information on his WW1 service record indicates his full name was James Felix Regan Ryan as discussed further below.

When he enlisted in 1901 in the 6th QIB and his details were published with the rank and file in The Queenslander, 13 Apr 1901, he noted his N.O.K. as his sister Miss A. Regan, Adamstown, via Newcastle, NSW.

When he enlisted at Brisbane in 1915 for WW1 he noted on his Attestation Form, dated 16 Feb 1916, that; he was born at Newcastle, NSW, and he was 34 years 5 months old; he was single working as a horse driver; his N.O.K. was his sister Mrs. J. Roddom, Maitland, NSW; and he had previously served 14 months in the 6th QIB, Boer War. His age on enlistment appears overstated, a marriage certification on his WW1 service records indicates he was 35 years old when he married in London in 1919.

From his WW1 service record it appears that communication with his sister was limited. His sister Annie Regan had married John William Roddom in 1900, something it appears he wasn't aware of at the time he enlisted in the Boer War. He served for a long stint in WW1 from 1915 until he returned in Nov 1919 with official discharge in Jan 1920.

Pages 40-41 of his WW1 service record contains a letter from his sister to the Army in Feb 1919 requesting information on his return date noting that she had recieved little communication from him throughout his service. She expressed concern that he had spent a lot of time at war, including the Boer War, and if returned to Brisbane he didn't have a base there, requesting if he would be allowed to disembark in Sydney and proceed to her location at Maitland. It appears that she may not have been aware that he had married in England the month before and would be returning with his wife and a child. 

Page 22 of his WW1 service record contains a copy of an AIF certified extract of a marriage certificate indicating that James Felix Regan (aged 35), Cpl. AIF, married Fanny Emily Childs (aged 25) at the registry Office, Aston, Birmingham on 2 Jan 1919. As reported in The Daily Mail, 10 Nov 1919, he was among soldiers, wives and children that returned on the Berrima that arrived in Sydney but was not among those that continued by train to Brisbane as originally listed. Its assumed he proceeded to Maitland.

Records indicate that by Aug 1920 he and wife were residing at Cessnock, NSW where they had another child in 1921. On 22 Sep 1927, The Master's Office, Supreme Court, Chancery Square, Sydney, wrote a letter to Army base Records (see p. 24 of WW1 service record), requesting information for James Felix Regan Ryan Ex/No. 1202, 2nd Light Horse.

In that letter they noted he had been admitted to the Mental Hospital in Orange, NSW, and they were seeking information on contact details for his N.O.K. At about the same time his wife, Fanny Emily Regan had her divorce application finalised in court, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 Sep 1927.

No birth registration could be located for James under the surname Regan, or Ryan, on the BDM NSW online historical registers. However, he is registered by the BDM under Ryan when he passed at Orange in 1937, where they note his parents as the same as those for his sister, Mrs. Annie Roddom, who passed in 1941 at Wyong. 

(Source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 515; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 6th QIB, Bk 2 p. 62; National Archives Australia- WW1 service record; various newspaper articles, see links).