Arthur Dean one of three brothers who served in WWI from North Ryde's Dean family - 16th weekly story.

From  October 2014, The Northern District Times began publishing short weekly stories from our project's research into World War One service with connections to the Ryde District.

Our 16th story tells of the Dean family of Coxs Road North Ryde and the youngest, ARTHUR STUART DEAN who was aged 22 when killed on 7 August 1915 at Pope's Hill, above Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.   He had been a member of the Parramatta Lancers and was one of the first to enlist in August 1914, joining the B Squadron of the 1st Light Horse Regiment.

Arthur was the youngest of nine children born to Arthur and Lillian Dean. Two brothers also served in the AIF. LESLIE THOMAS DEAN, SERN 3772, enlisted in November 1916 and served with the 35th Reinforcements of the 1st Light Horse Regiment. While HARRY POWELL DEAN, SERN 50620, was working as a wool classer in Queensland when he joined the November 1917 Queensland Reinforcements.

Week 16 :  28 January 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 21 - the story of Trooper ARTHUR DEAN, Service No. 296.

Tragedy followed an upbeat letter to home
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Ryde Nurse Marion Hall -- the 15th weekly story

In October 2014, The Northern District Times began publishing short weekly stories from the project's research of World War One service from the Ryde District.

Our 15th story tells of nurse, Marion Hall. Born in Ryde and aged 25 when she enlisted in July 1915, Marion spent the war years caring for the sick, injured and infectious soldiers. In Septemebr 1917 She was promoted to Sister, and returned home as Matron of the British India Hospital Ship, Varsova.

Week 15 :  21 January 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 29 - the story of MARION HALL

Nurse dedicated years to caring for soldiers
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Lieutenant William O'Toole recommended for Millitary Cross - Week 14

As the the 2015 Centenary of the Anzac landing draws closer The Northern District Times continues to publish our stories of World War One service from the Ryde District.

This story tells of William Charles O'Toole who was awarded a Military Cross in December 1918. O'Toole had enlisted in January 1916 and joined the 6th Reinforcements of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. He had eight years experience as a member of the Lands Department Rifle Club and was Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant. Early in in 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

Week 14 :  14 January 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 19 - the story of Lieutenant WILLIAM CHARLES O'TOOLE,

Medal for clearing vital road despite heavy fire
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Ryde's Australian Chinese lad who died during WWI - the 13th weekly tale

As the the 2015 Centenary of the Anzac landing draws closer The Northern District Times continues to publish our stories of World War One service from the Ryde District.

This story tells of the loss of Arthur Ernest Tipp. He was the only son of Australian Chinese parents,William and Alice Tipp. Arthur was born and lived in Ryde, NSW, but both his parents were born in Victoria and both descend from Chinese families who arrived at the time of the Victorian gold rushes. One grandfather was prominent Melbourne merchant, Lowe Meng Kong.

Arthur had embarked for the Western Front with the 13th Reinforcements of the 20th Battalion. in 1916. He was killed in action during October 1917 near Ypres, at Poelcapelle, Belgium.

For may years after his death his grieving parents annually placed 'In Memorium'  notices in the Sydney Morning Herald for their son and others from his battalion, and also for his best comrade Frank (Paddy) Hicks, who was also killed in May 1917.

Week 13 :  7 January 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 17 - the story of ARTHUR TIPP, Service No: 5099.

Chinese Australian dies for his country
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A Royal visit to Ryde's Private Smith while in English war hospital - our 12th weekly story.

In December 2014 The Northern District Times continued to publish our stories. They are a brief outline of some of our research of World War One service from the Ryde District.

Published from October 2014 , the stories are a glimpse at some of the information found by the Ryde goes to War Project. Our 12th  story tells of Ryde newsagent, Henry Edward Smith, who was surprised by a bedside visit from King George and Queen Mary while receiving treatment for his war wounds in a English hospital.

Harry had embarked with the 4th Battalion, 25th Reinforcements, but later served with the 45th Battalion.

Week 12 :  17 December 2014 - The Northern District Times, page 21 - the story of HENRY EDWARD SMITH, Service No: 7535.

Royal best wishes for Ryde's Private Smith

[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

Bert Best returned home, his right arm amputated but later died in 1928 - our 11th story

In December 2014 The Northern District Times continued to publish our stories. They are a brief outline of some of our research of World War One service from the Ryde District.

A weekly story has been published from October 2014. This one, the 11th is about Robert Best, who was born to William and Edith Best in Ryde in 1896. The family lived in Riverside Avenue, Ryde and Bert (as he was known) made his living as a carter. He enlisted in in January 1916 and joined the 12th Reinforcements of the 19th Battalion.

The poor conditions on the Western Front caused Bert to be hospitalised in England with severe trench foot, where he recuperated with the 61st Battalion in Wareham, England before returning to the 19th Battalion on the front in Belgium in October 1917.

Best was severely wounded  in France during September 1918 and evacuated to the Bath War Hospital, where his right arm was amputated. He returned to Australia in January 1919 and was said to become an expert in managing with one arm.

Week 11 :  10 December 2014 - The Northern District Times, page 20  is the story of ROBERT ARTHUR BEST, Service No: 4666.

Sickness back home claims young Bert, who gave an arm

[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

 

Our 10th weekly story tells of George Rottenbury of Ryde.

George Rottenbury had been born in Ryde in 1892. He lived with parents William & Mary in Potts St, Ryde. George was single when he enlisted at Ryde Town Hall in May 1916. He left for the Front with 16th Reinforcements of the 19th Battalion.

In the following April, he was injured with a severe gunshot wound to his chest. After treatment at 13th General Hospital, Boulogne, he was transferred to Fort Pitt Hospital, Chatham. five months later he was well enough to travel home. George later  married and had a son and settled in Gladesville after the war, where he was a member of the Gladesville RSL Sub-Branch and the Permanently Disabled Soldiers Association.

Week 10 : 3 December 2014 - The Northern District Times, page 15

[ current working on getting this link to work ]

[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

Week 9 : Brothers - Robert John Frew ( No. 2155) and William Chrales Frew ( No. 50316) from Ryde.

The 9th weekly Ryde Remembers story was published on 26 November 2014 in The Northern District Times. It is the story of  brothers, Robert and William Frew.

Robert and William were from the Helesburgh area on the south coast of NSW where they were coal miners. Their parent had moved to Meadow Crescent in Ryde (now in Meadowbank) sometime before the start of the war. Robert enlisted in May 1915, and by early August he was on the Gallipoli Peninsula as part of the 13th Battalion. Robert was reported wounded in action in the vicinity of Hill 60 on 23 August 1915. This was later changed to missing, and then killed in action.

Robert's mother Margaret Frew, reportedly found it difficult to accept the death of her son and was said to meet every returning ship for years in the hope that her son would be there.

Younger brother, William, received his parent permission to enlist in February 1918 and served with the 12th Light horse in Egypt.

The Week 9 :  26 November 2014 in The Northern District Times, page 26.
Grieving mother scoured each ship for news of missing son
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Our 8th story, Fredrick Gideon England, No.4107.

The 8th weekly Ryde Remembers story was published on 19 November 2014 in The Northern District Times. It is the story of  North Ryde lad, Fredrick Gideon England, who enlisted at age 18 in October 1915.

Fredrick lived with his family in Waterloo Road, North Ryde where they had a poultry farm and orchards. Today it is no longer a rural area on the north-west of Sydney, but part of the busy Macquarie Park suburb.

Fredrick embarked with the 10th reinforcements of the 20th Infantry Battalion,. While fighting on the Somme at Pozieres he was injured with gunshot wound to his back and fractured. vertebrae. He was transported to the 3rd London Hospital in England, in a serious condition but didn't survive. He is buried in the Australian Section of Wandsworth Cemetery, London.

The Week 8 :  19 November 2014 in The Northern District Times, page 29.
Digger's story leads to Pozieres heroism.
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Welcome to 2015

Welcome back to 2015  - our project is in full swing with our team busy checking and editing stories for our centenary of WWI publication, [due out in the middle of the year] -- more details to follow in the coming months.
In the meantime my apologies for being so quiet on the blog. I visited family interstate before Christmas and didn't get around to updating the weekly stories published in our local paper the Northern District Times - so in the next few days I will be catching up the stories published through December 2014 to bring you up to date.