James Towns Dryden

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Fri, 04/08/2017 - 09:48

First Name:

James

Middle Name:

Towns

Last Name:

Dryden

Mother's Name:

Ann Dryden nee Towns

Father's Name:

John Dryden

Date Enlisted:

Friday, April 14, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

35th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Wednesday, August 12, 1953

Place of Death:

Bulli, N.S.W.

Details:

James Dryden (N.S.W.) was born in Greta, N.S.W. in 1879 and came to Woonona, N.S.W. with his family in 1881.

In 1908 he married Martha Neil in Woonona and they raised 8 children.

At enlistment James was 37 years old, worked as a miner and the family lived at Thirroul, N.S.W.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A68 Anchises with 35th Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements on 24th August 1916. The troops arrived in England on 11th October 1916 and James joined 35th Battalion in France on 21st November 1916.

He saw service on the Western Front until 27th July 1917 when he was wounded in action and evacuated to hospital in England for treatment of severe gun shot wounds to his right thigh and back.

He was repatriated to Australia in August 1918 and discharged medically unfit on 20th June 1919.

James died in Bulli, N.S.W. in 1953 and is buried in Bulli Cemetery. His service is commemorated on the Thirroul-Woodward Memorial Park.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, DRYDEN J T