John Ryan (VC 1918)
| John Ryan | |
|---|---|
|
Private Edward John Francis Ryan VC c. 1919 | |
| Birth name | Edward John Francis Ryan |
| Born |
9 February 1890 Tumut, New South Wales |
| Died | 3 June 1941 (aged 51) |
| Allegiance |
 Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1920 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 55th Battalion, (N.S.W.), Australian Imperial Force |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Edward John Francis Ryan VC (9 February 1890 – 3 June 1941), better known as John Ryan, was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was approximately twenty eight years old, and a private in the 55th Battalion, (N.S.W.), Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 September 1918 at the Hindenburg Defences, France, when the enemy succeeded in establishing a bombing party in the rear of the battalion's recently won position, Private Ryan, on his own initiative, organized and led a party of men with bombs and bayonets against the enemy. He reached the position with only three men and they succeeded in driving the enemy back. Private Ryan cleared the last of them alone, finally falling wounded himself.[1]
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial (Canberra, Australia).
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31082. p. 15119. 26 December 1918. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - The Final Days 1918 (Gerald Gliddon, 2000)
External links
- G. P. Walsh, 'Ryan, Edward John Francis (1890–1941)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, Melbourne University Press, 1988, pp 492–493.
- John Ryan at Find a Grave