Hugh Quinn (1888 - 1915)

Born 6 May 1888 in Charters Towers, Queensland (Australia)

Died 29 May 1915 at age 27 in Gallipoli, Gelibolu, Çanakkale, Turkey

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Biography

Hugh Quinn has Irish ancestors.

Hugh Quinn is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Major Hugh Quinn served in the Australian Imperial Force in World War I
Service started:
Unit(s): 15th Australian Infantry Battalion
Service ended: 29 May 1915 (KIA)

Major Hugh Quinn was killed in action at Quinn's Post, Gallipoli during The Great War.

Hugh Quinn was born on 6th May 1888 in Charters Towers, Queensland (Australia). He was the second son of John Quinn, a mounted police constable from Ireland, and Mary Irwin. ^[1] He attended Millchester State School and Dixon's School at Southport, on Queensland's Gold Coast. On leaving school he joined the firm of Cummins & Campbell, merchants of Townsville, and later established his own business as a commission agent.

Captain Hugh Quinn

Hugh enlisted in the Commonwealth Military Force (Militia) and, after rising to non-commissioned rank, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Kennedy Infantry Regiment in 1908. He was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in 1911 and Captain in 1912.

Immediately after the declaration of (First World) War in August 1914 the Kennedy Regiment had a short period of garrison duty on Thursday Island. Hugh then volunteered for the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) and was appointed as Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General William Holmes' adjutant. The ANMEF was tasked with quickly shutting-down German communications and seizing the many German possessions in the Pacific.

Hugh then transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), his young nation's overseas expeditionary force being raised for service in the Middle East and Europe, and was appointed to E Company, 15th Infantry Battalion, a unit of the 4th Infantry Brigade commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (later General Sir) John Monash, which embarked for Egypt on 22nd December 1914 aboard HMAT Ceramic A40. ^[2][3]

Hugh's company landed at Gallipoli on 26th April 1915, the day after the rest of the battalion, and although involved in skirmishing in the next two days were mainly engaged in digging a communication trench up the valley. On 1st May he was promoted to Major was appointed commander of C Company, and ordered to hold a position at the head of Monash Valley which rose abruptly and precipitously to about 46 metres (150 feet) above the valley floor and was the apex of the front-line triangle, whose base rested on ANZAC Cove. The position, a string of disconnected shallow rifle-pits less than nine metres (ten yards) below the crest line, with a frontage of 137 metres (150 yards), was the key to the ANZAC position as it was the only possible defence of the main supply route from the beach. The position became known as Quinn's Hill and Quinn's Corner before it was called Quinn's Post. Quinn's Post became the centre of constant fighting, but was never taken by the enemy, with Hugh being killed in action on 29th May. He was 27 years of age and is buried in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery.

Hugh Quinn's name is located at panel 77 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. ^[4]

Following the war, his parents were issued his 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56441608/hugh-quinn: accessed 18 January 2023), memorial page for Maj Hugh Quinn (6 May 1888–29 May 1915), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56441608, citing Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli, Çanakkale, Turkey; Maintained by nettlyne (contributor 47486944).

1. ↑ Birth registration: Hugh Quinn Birth date:06/05/1888 Mother's name:Mary Jane Irwin Father/parent's name:John Quinn Registration details:1888/C/5680 - https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/16d2859642bab0fcce3154fdf26dc90ee89b09d5798a95dca7f9d181304e6bcd
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Major Hugh Quinn; accessed 30 Aug 2022
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: Captain Hugh Quinn; accessed 30 Aug 2022
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial roll of honour: Major Hugh Quinn; accessed 30 Aug 2022

• From the collection of Ronald A Bradford

See also

• Argent, A. 'Quinn, Hugh (1888–1915)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1988; accessed online 30 Aug 2022.