Angus Dearden

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	Ballarat, Victoria
Death	24 May 1918
Place of Death	61st Casualty Clearing Station Vignacourt, France
Age at Enlistment	36 years, 9 months
Description	6'0½" (1.84m) tall; weight 185 lbs (83.9kg); fair complexion, blue eyes, auburn hair.
Occupation	clerk
Religion	Church of England
Address	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Sister Miss Hannah Dearden
Military Information
Reg Number	5841
Date of Enlistment	15 Apr 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 16th Reinforcement / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Date of Embarkation	13 Oct 1916 - 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Fate	Wounded in Action 23 May 1918 DOW 24 May 1918
Monument	Jarrahdale War Memorial Jarrahdale Honour Roll ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford) Australian War Memorial
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Worked for Millars Timber & Trading Company.

War Service

Angus joined Blackboy Hill camp on 15 Apr 1916 and three weeks later he was allocated to the 16th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion. As part of his training he attended the No. 5 NCO School prior to embarking for England aboard HMAT A23 Suffolk on 13 Oct 1916 and disembarking on 2 Dec 1916. On arrival in England he was sent to the Hurdcott Camp for further training, but within a week, on 9 Dec 1916 he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford with Venereal Disease. Discharged to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone, he was sent to Parkhouse Hospital for treatment. He remained there until 26 Feb 1917 a period of 77 days. On 21 Mar 1917 he was charged with having been AWOL from midnight 19 Mar 1917 until 12:30pm on 20 Mar 1917.

Angus proceeded overseas to Étaples in France on 22 May 1917 from Southampton, and then spent three weeks at the 2nd Division's Base Depot until he could join the 28th Battalion on 12 Jun 1917. Evacuated sick to hospital on 31 Jul 1917 with trench fever, Angus didn't rejoin the battalion until 19 Oct 1917 after periods with the 58th and 5th (Rouen) General Hospitals and the 2nd Convalescent Depot as well as Base Depots.

He remained with the battalion until 23 May 1918 when he was wounded in action. While they were in the line at Ville-sur-Ancre, he was apparently sniped, being wounded with a penetrating GSW to his chest and abdomen. The battalion's War Diary entry for the day records the weather as warm, with both sides actively shelling each other. The day's casualties were 5 wounded in action.

Red Cross file

"He was admitted to this C.C.S. On 25-5-18 with a perforating bullet wound of the chest and abdomen. He was in a dangerous condition on admission, and only lived for a short while after arriving here. He passed away quite peacefully. Burial took place in the local Military Cemetery." O.C. 61 CCS

"I knew him well. He came from Yarloop, Western Australia, and had been manager of some timber mill. About the 24th May we were in supports at Villers Serang. A party of us, including Dearden and myself went up to dig a communication trench about 11:00pm. While doing this Dearden was hit by a sniper just over the heart. He was taken to the A.P. near Ribecourt, and died about 2 hours later. The body was buried in the Military Cemetery at Franevillers." Townson R.H. 3437

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  Vignacourt British Cemetery
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  Vignacourt Military Cemetery - photo by Linton Reynolds

Notes

Buried in Vignacourt British Cemetery, France (Plot II, Row C, Grave No. 17). The Vignacourt cemetery is 13 Km north, north-west of Amiens.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial