Daniel LYNCH

Daniel LYNCH

Per his military service record (regimental no. 5403), Daniel Lynch was born at Orange, N.S.W.[1]  He gave his age as 44 years and 3 months (although he appears to have been much older), his marital status as married, and his occupation as telegraph linesman.  His description on his Certificate of Medical Examination was height 6 feet 2 inches tall (so he was one of the tallest of the Coo-ees), weight 12 stone, with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair.  His religious denomination was Roman Catholic.  He claimed that he had no previous military service.  He completed his medical examination on 16^th October 1915 at Wellington (while the Coo-ees were at Wellington), and was attested by Captain Nicholas at Stuart Town on 19^th October 1915.

He was named (as “Lynch, D”) in the Wellington Times as one of the men who enlisted with the Coo-ees at Wellington.[2]

After completing the Coo-ee March he went to Liverpool Camp as 15^th reinforcement for the 13^th Battalion.

Whilst at the Liverpool Camp Private Lynch was charged with using obscene language to an NCO.  He was fined 1 Pound.  He was also absent without leave from the Liverpool Camp from the 18^th to 31^st January 1916, and from 1^st to the 8^th February 1916, a total of 22 days.

Private Lynch was involved in hearing at the Central Police Court on 25^th January 1916, followed by a court case on 6^th March 1916 at the Darlinghurst Quarter Sessions, in which another Coo-ee was charged with, and subsequently found guilty of, having assaulted him at Central Railway Station about midnight on January 16^th 1916, and robbed him of two pounds.[3]

Private Lynch was transferred to 17^th Reinforcement for the 13^th Battalion in early 1916.

On his embarkation roll his address at time of enrolment was Percy Street, Wellington, N.S.W., and his next of kin is listed as his wife, Mrs M. E. [Mary Ellen] Lynch, at the same address.

On 9^th April 1916 Private Lynch departed Sydney on the HMAT Nestor A71 (along with several other Coo-ees), bound for Egypt.

Photograph of HMAT A71 Nestor loaded with troops on an earlier voyage, taken 11 October 1915. Part of the Australian War Memorial Collection. PB0607.

On the 5^th of June 1916 he was admitted to the 3^rd Australian General Hospital at Abbassia, Egypt with injured ribs.  He was discharged on 20^th June 1916.

On 2^nd August 1916 Private Lynch was charged with being absent without leave from 1700 parade at Tel-el-Kebir.  He was awarded 3 days field punishment number 2.

On 6^th August 1916 Private Lynch departed Egypt bound for England aboard the Transport Megantic.

On 22^nd September 1916 Private Lynch departed the 4^th Training Battalion in England bound for France.

He marched into the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples, France, on 24^th September 1916.

A few weeks later, on 15^th October 1916 Private Lynch was admitted to the 26^th General Hospital at Etaples, France, suffering Rheumatism.

On 23^rd October 1916 Private Lynch was placed aboard the Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen at Boulogne, for transfer to England.  He was admitted to the Western Heights Military Hospital at Dover later that day.

On 30^th October 1916 Private Lynch was transferred to the 3^rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, England, with Myalgia.  A Medical Report of an Invalid form dated 1^st November 1916 at this hospital in his service record listed his ‘true age’ as 51 years. (If this was his correct age at that time, it means he would actually have been about 50 years of age when he enlisted with the Coo-ees).

On 12^th November 1916 Private Lynch was discharged and marched into the Number 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, England.

On 12^th March 1917 Private Lynch was charged with being absent without leave in London from 2^nd March 1917 till apprehended by the Military Police on 8^th March 1917.  He was awarded 7 days confined to barracks and fined 7 days pay.

On 17^th March 1917 Private Lynch departed England from Plymouth aboard the H.T. Beltana bound for Australia, for discharge over age and debility.

He arrived in Sydney on 15^th May 1917.  Private Lynch was discharged medically unfit on 11^th June 1917.

[1] NAA: B2455, LYNCH DANIEL

[2] ‘Hitchen’s Coo-ees’, Wellington Times, 18 October 1915, p. 3. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article143388424

[3] ‘Soldier Charged’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1916, p. 6. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28782852  ;’Coo-ees in a Brawl’, The Sun, 6 March 1916, p. 5 (Final Extra). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221356476