Old Boys at War Project – Parramatta Marist Old Boys Union

Old Boys at War Project – One School’s Sacrifice

At the end of 20 I 5, the Year I 0 Elective History class undertook a project to discover our Old Boys who served in Australia’s military forces, and, in particular, those who had been killed in the service of our nation. From a puzzle with many missing pieces, these students were able to research the lives and details of 3 I servicemen killed in WW2 and begin the process of uploading their details to the RSL virtual memorial site.

From incomplete rolls dating from the early I900’s, we were able to positively identify 5 Old Boys killed in WWI from the hundreds of Old Boys we believed to have served in that conflict. Our Old Boys were in the thick of the action in WWI with one being killed (or dying of wounds) at Gallipoli, one in Syria, one at Fromelles and two at Bullecourt. Recently Old Boy researchers, Alan Mcinnes (Class of I956) and John Peters (Class of I964) appear to have found one Parramatta Marist Old Boy who was killed in the Boer War, Trooper Patrick O’Grady, NSW Imperial Bushmen (Died of Wounds, Ottoshoop, I 900). His relatives (possibly older brothers) also served in the war in South Africa but survived. They may also have attended Marist. The family was from Granville.

The School has continued this project with Year 9 Elective History.

Boer and First World Wars

Patrick O’Grady

The NSW Imperial Bushman – another unit from the regiment that Old Boy Patrick O’Grady served with in the Boer War.

Private Henry James Bartlett

Private Henry James Bartlett, 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance Army Medical Corps, Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Died of disease 28th October, Middle east, 1948. Buried in Damascus British War Cemetery, Syria

Private Leslie Creed

Private Leslie Creed 9th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement, AIF, Killed in Action, 7 May 1917, Bullecourt, France, Age 33.

Private Thomas Cranney

Private Thomas Cranney, 8th Battalion 8th Reinforcement, AIF. Killed in action 15 May 1917, Bullecourt, France, Age 36

Private Stan O’Grady, Gallipoli

Private Stan O’Grady, presumed killed in action, 22 August 1915 at Hill 60 Gallipoli aged 19.

Private (later Bombardier) Francis Chippindale DCM

Private (later Bombardier) Francis Chippindale DCM, 12th Light Horse Regiment (later 52nd Battery, 25th Brigade Australian Field Artillery), of Parramatta, NSW. Wounded in action 19 July 1916 at Fleurbax, France. Died of his wounds 17 August 1916 in Newcastle-On-Tyne, aged 21. Buried St Andrews and Jesmond Cemetery, United Kingdom.

Second World War

Gunner Kevin Dolahenty

Gunner Kevin Dolahenty 2/15th Field Regiment, RAA, 2nd AIF. Killed in action 11 February 1942, aged 31. Buried Kanji War Cemetary, Singapore.

Flight Sergeant Robert Hugh Gillian

Flight Sergeant Robert Hugh Gillian, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was killed in an accident flying over Northern Ireland on the 26th March 1945, Aged 27. A monument marks the crash site and he is buried at St Mary Roman Catholic Church Cemetery, Limavady, Lodonderry, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK.

Stoker 2nd Class John Hagin

Stoker 2nd Class John Hagin, Royal Australian Navy, was killed on 27 November 1941 when his ship, HMAS Parramatta (Pictured) was torpedoed and sunk by U-559 off the Libyan coast whilst escorting an ammunition supply ship Hanne to the besieged troops in Trobruk. He was 18.

Lance Sergeant Norm Rafferty

Lance Sergeant Norm Rafferty. 2/12 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, died from illness (working on the Thai-Burma ‘Death’ Railway) on 14 October 1942, aged 23, is buried in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Myanmar (Burma)

Private John Sullivan

Private John Sullivan, died as a POW in Japan on 4th December 1944. He is buried in Labuan War Cemetery, Labuan, Malaysia

Gunner George Noland

Gunner George Noland, 2/5th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, was killed in action fighting the Japanese, Balikpapan, Borneo, 10 July 1945, aged 26. (Artillerymen of 2/5th pictured in action on 5th July 1945)

Flight Sergeant William Callaghan

Flight Sergeant William Callaghan, RAAF (No. 170 Squadron, RAF). Killed in a flying battle over the Netherlands, 7 March 1945, aged 19.

Sergeant Arthur Adolph, Royal Australian Air Force

Sergeant Arthur Adolph, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Killed on November 17th 1942 in a training accident at Bairnsdale, Victoria, aged 25

Lance Corporal Clarence Cullen

Lance Corporal Clarence Cullen 2/13 Australian Infantry Battalion killed in action, 29 November 1941, Egypt, aged 24. Buried in Trobruk War Cemetery, Trobruk, Libya.

Painter 4th Class Richard Stapleton, Royal Australian Navy

Painter 4th Class Richard Stapleton, Royal Australian Navy, was killed on 1st March 1942 during the battle of the Sunda Strait when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked and sunk the HMAS Perth (crew pictured here at Fremantle 1941)

Lieutenant Stanley Sutton

Lieutenant Stanley Sutton died of injuries whilst training. His epitaph reads “To have love & then to part is the saddest thing for the human heart” Stan is buried in Perth War Cemetery, Western Australia.

Pilot Officer Kenneth Feeney

Pilot Officer Kenneth Feeney RAAF 467 Squadron (Lancaster). Killed in Action in flying battle, France, April 21 1944

Flying Officer John McNamara

Flying Officer John McNamara RAAF (620 Squadron RAF). Awarded Croix du Guerre (France). Killed in a flying battle over Norway on 28 December 1944 (Aged 23). Buried in Sande in Vestfold Cemetery, Vestfold Norway.

Malaya Emergency and Vietnam Era

Lieutenant Charles George Eiler, Special Air Service Regiment (SAS)

Lieutenant Charles George Eiler, Special Air Service Regiment (SAS). Died in a parachute accident Bindoon Drop Zone, 12 August 1969, aged 21.

Note the banner above Charles’ name on his grave stone below.

Squadron Leader Terry Carter (1952)

Squadron Leader Terry Carter AFC GSM b. 1934-2004 Fighter Pilot, RAAF Malayan Emergency. Paramatta Marist 1945-1952

– Patrick O’Grady