Edward John Francis Ryan VC (1890 - 1941)

Ancestors

Biography

Edward John Francis Ryan VC was born on 9th February 1890 in Tumut, New South Wales (Australia). John, or Jack, as he was known, was the second son of Michael Ryan, a Sydney-born labourer, and his wife Eugenia, née Newman, from Gunning. ^[1] He was educated locally before finding work as a labourer.

Jack enlisted on 1st December 1915 in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for service overses during the First World War. It was a mature decision, his being then almost 26 years of age and the calamitous Gallipoli Campaign in all the newspapers and newsreels. After marching to Sydney with the 'Kangaroos' recruiting march he embarked for the Middle East aboard HMAT Ceramic A40 on 14th April 1916 with other reinforcements for the newly-formed 55th Australian Infantry Battalion. ^[2] Jack joined the battalion, which was part of the 14th Brigade, 5th Division, in France in September, on the Western Front. Other than for January-June 1917, when he was detached to the Anzac Light Railways Unit, he remained at the front with the 55th until the armistice. His youngest brother, Malcolm, was a trooper with the 6th Light Horse, in the Middle East Theatre.

Victoria Cross

During the battalion's attack at Bellicourt on the Hindenburg defences on 30th September 1918, Jack went forward of his own initiative, under heavy fire, and was one of the first to reach an enemy trench. A German counter-attack drove the Australians back, placing them in a critical position. Jack organised and led an attack on the Germans with bombs (hand grenades) and bayonets. His party of three killed three Germans, then he single-handedly rushed the remainder and drove them back.

He was badly wounded in the shoulder, but his action enabled the trench to be retaken. For his action, Jack was awarded the Victoria Cross, ^[3] which he was presented on 22nd May 1919 by King George V at Buckingham Palace.

John Ryan VC

Jack returned to Sydney on 24th October that year and was discharged from the AIF on 10th January 1920. After the war Jack, as did many veterans, struggled to find employment, particularly during the Depression years.

He made his way to Albury, on the Murray River, staying at Mrs Mess’ Boarding House 1925 to 1927. It appears that Jack had a relationship here with a young English lady, producing a daughter; mother and daughter both moved to England soon afterward. He may not have known that he was a father. ^[4]

After continuing to move from town to town in search of work, destitute, in August 1935 he walked the 165 kilometres from Balranald, New South Wales, to Mildura, Victoria, where he was given temporary work by the local council. Afterward he obtained employment in a Melbourne insurance office where he remained for several years. His health deteriorated, however, and by May 1941 he was again tramping the streets looking for work.

The day he was to start a new job he was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he died of pneumonia on 3rd June 1941, aged 54 years. ^[5] He was buried with military honours in the Springvale Botanical Cemetery, with eight fellow Victoria Cross recipients forming a guard of honour.

Jack was survived by his two youngest brothers, Malcolm and Reginald, and his sister, Muriel, who presented his Victoria Cross to the Australian War Memorial in November 1967.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #34350/1890
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: 1717 Private John Ryan; accessed 8 May 2019
3. ↑ London Gazette 24 Dec 1918 Supplement: 31082 Page: 15119; accessed 8 May 2019
4. ↑ from information provided by great grand-daughter Antonia Cowling
5. ↑ Victoria Death Index #4901/1941

See also

• Walsh, G P. 'Ryan, Edward John Francis (1890–1941)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1988; accessed online 8 May 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: John Ryan (Australian soldier).