Daniel William Dignam

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sat, 06/05/2017 - 12:25

First Name:

Daniel

Middle Name:

William

Last Name:

Dignam

Date of Birth:

Wednesday, August 7, 1895

Mother's Name:

Catherine Dignam nee Reddy

Father's Name:

John Dignam

Date Enlisted:

Monday, August 17, 1914

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

3rd Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, September 9, 1955

Place of Death:

Sutherland, N.S.W.

Details:

Daniel Dignam (Service No 117) was born in Sydney and his family moved to the Illawarra in N.S.W. soon after his birth.

At enlistment Daniel was single, 19 years old, worked as a railway operator and lived at Clifton, N.S.W. Daniel had attended Thirroul Public School and served with the CMF.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A14 Euripides with 3rd Battalion, A Company with the first contingent on 19th October 1914. He arrived in Egypt and after training embarked for Gallipoli, landing on 25th April.

On 18th July 1915 Daniel was admitted to a Casualty Clearing station with a gun shot wound and sent to Egypt for treatment. He rejoined his battalion in Egypt on21st January 1916.

He arrived in France on 28th March 1916. Daneil was hospitalised withe a sprained left ankle, which meant he was not part of the fighting at the Somme, and did not rejoin his unit until 24th November 1916.

On 27/28 February 1917 the 3rd Battalion was relieving 11th Battalion at Ligney, and A Company was the front company on the right. Daniel was reported as missing in action having been taken prisoner. He spent the rest of the war in Germany in a prisonor of way camp, and was repatriated to England on 26th December 1918. H

Daniel returned to Australia in May 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on 1st September 1919.

In 1925 he married Catherine Harding at Kiama, N.S.W.

Daniel died in Sutherland in 1955 and is buried in Woronora Cemetery.

Daniel was one of the first to enlist from Clifton and is commemorated on the Thirroul Public School Roll of Honour.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, DIGNAM D W