Henry James DURKIN

Badge Number: V1120, Sub Branch: Walkerville
V1120

DURKIN, Henry James

Service Numbers: 3689, V353927
Enlisted: 3 March 1917, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 2nd Pioneer Battalion
Born: Newport, Victoria, 30 June 1895
Home Town: Newport, Hobsons Bay, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Brass finisher
Died: Natural causes, Adelaide, South Australia, 8 August 1978, aged 83 years
Cemetery: Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia
Memorials:
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World War 1 Service

3 Mar 1917: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3689, Melbourne, Victoria
11 May 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3689, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: ''
11 May 1917: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3689, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Melbourne

World War 2 Service

30 Mar 1942: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Corporal, V353927

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Biography

Henry James Durkin, a Brass-finisher, enlisted in March 1917, as part of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion, 9th Reinforcements.

He embarked on HMATA9  Shropshire, from Melbourne Victoria on 11 May 1917.

Henry followed his brother to war and to see the world. His brother, William Francis Durkin, enlisted in 1915 and received Croix de Guerre (Belgium).

Henry received service metals - The Great Ware for Civilisation 1914-1919, George IV S Brittomn.Rex.ET.IND:IM

Injured in Belgium he was billeted with a local couple until he could be shipped to England for recovery.

He returned to Australia 24th July 1919

After the war he married Eva Pearce in 1928 had 2 children, a boy and girl, and 3 granddaughters. During World War 2 Henry was a Corporal in the Victorian Volunteer Defence Corp. 

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