Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From the book Fallen Saints  - John Raymond (Raimond) Sadleir of Albemarle Sheep Station near Menindee New South Wales was born at Grange South Australia in 1893.

His parents had fifteen children the first of whom died in 1878 and the last in 1977. John’s father Nicholas was born in Tipperary Town, Ireland in 1834 and died at Menindee New South Wales in 1904. His mother Anna was born in Launceston Tasmania in 1853 and died in England on 26 November 1911; she was buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool. [1]

John and his brothers De Vere, Charles, Robert, James and Nicholas all attended Saint Peter’s.

After leaving school, John was employed by the Bank of Adelaide at McLaren Vale, South Australia until he left for England in February 1915. He enlisted in the British Army and commenced his service as 1102 Private John R Sadlier (sic), King Edward's Horse. After serving 2½ years with this regiment in France he was appointed second lieutenant and transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry. [2]

He was later invalided to England suffering from trench fever and when it was determined he was not likely to recover sufficiently to return to the firing line, was posted to the Palace Barracks in Belfast, Ireland.

John Raymond Sadleir died of war related illness on 26 November 1918; he was 25 years of age. John’s brothers, De Vere and Charles both enlisted from the Argentine and served in the British Army and their sister Angela served in France from 1915 as a nurse in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve. [3]

John Sadleir’s name has been incorrectly spelt on so many official documents it was difficult to research his life and military service until fortunately, in May 2006, Mister Ronnie Land, (great grandson of Nicholas Sadleir and grandson of Robert Sadleir) writing from Scotland provided a wealth of information about John and his family.

 Family tradition here in Scotland was that he had died in the flu epidemic of 1918, but I have found that he died of illness contracted in the trenches, and he is commemorated both on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and the Commemorative Roll of The Australia War Memorial. In the last few days I have found online the London Gazette of April 1918 showing John's commission into the Somerset Light Infantry, with his name spelt Sadlier, but I then found a correction to Sadleir in a Gazette of Nov 1918. His gravestone says Sadlier - a lady from the Grantham Historical Society kindly looked at it for me. Nicholas Sadleir's brother John (1833-1919) was in command at Glenrowan in 1880 during the final hours of the siege that led to the capture of Ned Kelly. [4]

[1] Land, R, - great-grandson of Nicholas Sadleir – letter dated 1 May 2006
[2] London Gazette - John Raimond Sadleir-Issue 31006 published 12 Nov 1918, p. 5 of 16, viewed 3 May 2006
[3] Land, R, - great-grandson of Nicholas Sadleir – letter dated 3 May 2006
[4] ibid

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

John Raymond Sadleir was born on 29th August, 1893 at Glenelg, South Australia to parents Nicholas & Anna Georgina Sadleir (nee Sturgess).

Nicholas Clarke Sadleir, father of John Raymond Sadleir, died on 7th April, 1904, at Albermarle, aged 69. He was buried at Menindee, Broken Hill, NSW, Australia.

Anna Georgina Sadleir, mother of John Raymond Sadleir, died on 24th July, 1911 & was buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool, Merseyside, England.

John Raymond Sadlier was aged 22 years when he enlisted in England with King Edward’s Horse. His service number was 1102.

(Note – it appears that the service record file for Private John Raymond Sadlier has not survived.)

According to his Medal Index Card, Private John Raymond Sadlier entered a Theatre of War on 18th November, 1915.

[According to some research, Private John Raymond Sadlier served for 2 ½ years with King Edward’s Horse & was then invalided to England with Trench Fever. Unable to return to the Front he was apparently appointed an instructor at the Palace Barracks, Belfast, Ireland.]

Private John Raymond Sadlier was discharged from King Edward’s Horse on 26th March, 1918, having gained a Commission in the Somerset Light Infantry.

Second Lieutenant John Raymond Sadlier died on 26th November, 1918.     

Newspaper item – Grantham Journal, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England - 30 November, 1918:

AN OFFICER’S SUICIDE

At Harrowby, on Tuesday, Second-Lieut. John Raymond Sadleir, an Australian, of the Somerset Light Infantry, attached M.G.C., fatally shot himself with a revolver. Mr T. Norton held an inquest on Wednesday, when medical evidence showed that the deceased had been suffering from influenza, and had been mentally depressed for some time. A verdict of “Suicide during temporary insanity” was entered.

He was buried in Grantham Cemetery, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England.

John Raymond Sadleir, of King Edward’s Horse, is remembered on the Commemorative Roll Book, located in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The Commemorative Roll records the names of those Australians who died during or as a result of wars in which Australians served, but who were not serving in the Australian Armed Forces and therefore not eligible for inclusion on the Roll of Honour.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/grantham.html