Private Charles Norman Kenny of Ryde died on the Western Front in May 1917

Week 20 :  25 February 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 20 - the story of  Private Charles Norman Kenny, Service No. 4729.

Charles, a 24 year old clerk was the son of Charles and Ellen Kenny of Goodwin Street, Ryde. He enlisted in January 1916 and joined the 12th reinforcements of the 19th Battalion, He saw major battles in Ypres, Belgium, the Somme and the Second Battle of Bullecourt in France, before he received a fatal penetrating gun shot wound to the chest on the 3 May 1917.

 He was buried in Grevillers British Cemetery, France. His death was reported locally in the Cumberland Argus newspaper on May 26 1917.

Private Kenny's year of living dangerously
[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

Sydney University Professor James Pollock of Ryde, served to share his Physics expertise.

Week 19 :  18 February 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 19 - told the story of  Irish born, Sydney University Professor James Pollock, who had joined the AIF as a Captain in January 1916.
His expertise in physics saw him involved in many engineering schemes involving tunnelling and exploding mines both in the classroom and at the front line. He was later promoted to Major.

At the time Pollock was owner of the historic house The Hermitage, which had been built by John Blaxland (son of Blue Mountains explorer, Gregory Blaxland) in the 1840s.

Boffin played part in digging under Hill 60
[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

Poppies and ANZAC events in Ryde April 2015

Knitted poppies have been popping up across the country this year and Ryde is no exception with the City of Ryde's Ryde Remembers 2000 poppy project. More information on Council website here

Details of  Commemorate services to be held across the district can be found here 
including the City of Ryde Anzac Service, Friday 24 April 2015, 9.30-10.15am service,
Location: Ryde Cenotaph, Ryde Park, Blaxland Road, Ryde.
For more information, contact the City of Ryde Events Team  on link above.

We have also been asked to share the details of the Ryde Hospital ANZAC service.
The service will be held at 10am on April 24. It will be conducted at the Flag Pole next to Denistone House, Ryde Hospital, Denistone Road, Eastwood. Following the service will be a short presentation about the history of medical and nursing care at Ryde Hospital.
Denistone House will be open as a museum on April 24 and 27 from 10am - 2pm, the public are welcome to attend during these hours and enjoy a cup of tea and ANZAC biscuit.

Last Sunday was the final Poppy making day at Ryde Library and it was wonderful to see so much interest form all ages across the district and to know that more than the original anticipated 2000 poppies have been completed. In the past week the poppies have made a home on the large letters R Y D E at different library branches. Next week they should come back to the main Library at Ryde and also be at the City of Ryde Anzac Service on Friday 24 April 2015.

Ryde's 2000 Poppies letter Y on display at Ryde Library, Sunday 12 April 2015.

Emmeline and Elizabeth Murrell, the Ryde sisters who both joined the Australian Army Nursing Service

Week 18 :  11 February 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 17 - tells of Emmeline and Elizabeth Murrell, who both joined the Australian Army Nursing Service and continues from the previous week's article on their brother Henry George Murrell.

The large Murrell family lived in a house named Wonga on Victoria Road, Gladesville. Emmeline was 31 when she joined as a Staff Nurse in 1916. Elizabeth had nursed at Ryde's Home for the Incurables [later to become the Royal Rehab Centre, Sydney] and had been appointed Matron of Denistone House at Eastwood in May 1916 before she also enlisted in June 1917.

By the end of the war both had served until they were suffering from debilitating illnesses. For a glimpse of their story read :
Nursing sisters served until they also fell ill
[if you click on the title -- it should take you to the on-line edition of the newspaper]

* as the newspaper link doesn't appear to open the complete article  it will be added here;

April 2015 Update

My apologies for the lack of Blogging in the last 5-6 weeks [I was away] and missed updating the link to the weekly Norther District Times stories, so they will be posted to catch you up over the next few days.

As for the Project it self we haven't stopped in in fact we have been very busy finalizing the format and checking our Ryde Goes to War 1914-1918 book which is now at the printers and will be launched in May 2015. More details to follow very soon...

Military Medal awarded to Ryde's Henry George Murrell - the 17th 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. This week hear of  Henry George Murrell, a Gladesville Veterinary Surgeon  at the time of his enlistment in the AIF in 1916,

Private Murrell embarked with Reinforcements to serve with the 17th Battalion in arriving in France in May 1917. A year later his compassion and daring almost got him killed. For his actions he was awarded the Military Medal.

His citation for the Military Medal reads:
'On morning 14th May, 1918 during German attack on our lines near MORLANCOURT, south of Albert was a stretcher bearer. Regardless of danger, he carried wounded to safety under heavy barrage and Machine Gun fire. This man volunteered to go to a post of Germans who had dug themselves in, in an isolated position, with an enemy prisoner who was wounded and said he could persuade his comrades to surrender. When Private MURRELL and his prisoner got near the trench they tried to capture him, but crying out to one Lewis Gunner who was handy, he bolted under covering fire of Lewis Gun. MURRELL's work and energy throughout the whole proceedings was a fine exhibition of bravery and resolution, regardless of self.'

Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 15

Date: 4 February 1919

Henry George Murrell was the youngest of 11 children born to Charles and Mary Anne Murrell..

The family lived on Victoria Road, Gladesville, Two of his sisters also served with the Australian

Army Nursing Service, Emmeline Anne MURRELL and Elizabeth Ellen MURRELL and a brother-in-law, Private John McFarlane, SERN 4584 was killed in action at Pozieres in January 1918.

Week 17 :  6 February 2015 - The Northern District Times, page 19 - the story of  Private HENRY GEORGE MURRELL, Service No. 6341.

Heroic attempt to return wounded enemy soldier

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

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