Gosford District Casualties of World War One Riley, Claude Ernest Service Number 2138 Killed in Action 27th June 1918 France
Apr 07, 2016
Gosford District Casualties of World War One
Bragg, Edmund Allen Service Number 1494
Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula
Gosford District Casualties of World War One
Riley, Claude Ernest Service Number 2138
Killed in Action 27th June 1918 France
Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of
Benalyn Campbell
And Vivienne Tranter
in compiling this resource
The information in this file has been extracted from official records
held in the
The Australian War Memorial and
National Archives of Australia
(© Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013)
Further information on this soldier may be found online at:
Commonwealth War Graves
The AIF project
Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children
using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context
provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF.
This resource is presented by Gosford City Council
for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources
contained within remains with the original copyright owners.
NAME Riley, Claude Ernest
SERVICE NO 2138
UNIT 35th Battalion/3
rd Reinfs.
RANK L/cpl
AGE at Enlistment 22 yrs
PLACE OF BIRTH Wiseman’s Ferry, NSW
ADDRESS Wyong, NSW
OCCUPATION Labourer
DATE OF ENLISTMENT 4 Aug 1915
PLACE OF ENLIST-MENT
PREVIOUS SERVICE 18mths Militia, Wyong
NEXT OF KIN Mother;- Elizabeth Riley, Wyong, NSW re-married Lervey
PHYSICAL DESCRIP-TION
Height-5’8½”. Weight-160lbs. Chest-?
Complexion-Dark. Eyes-Grey. Hair-Black.
RELIGION R/C
EMBARKED 24 Aug 1916- Sydney per HMAT “Anchises”.
DISEMBARKED 11 Oct 1916- Devonport
NOTES
WOUNDED/ILLNESS 4-14 Jun 1917- Adm. Hosp- Boils
DIED 27 Jun 1918 -France
BURIED Aubigny Military Cem., 1¼ mls SW Corbie, France
MEDALS British War Medal-46507, Victory Medal-45970. Memorial Plaque & Scroll - 347179
DEPENDANTS
PERSONAL EFFECTS Letters, photos, cards, 1 YMCA wallet, 1 book of views, 1 waterproof wallet/
WILL
CORRESPONDENCE P W Sheridan & Co. of Kempsey
Public Trustee Newcastle- re estate of Edward M J Reilly (died 29 Jul 1953) Brother of C E Reilly. Mother;- E Lervey, Collombatti Rail, Kempsey.
Gosford Times 1st August 1918 The news reached the Creek last week of the death of Private E Reilley. “Killed in Action,” the message ran, which brings the horrors of the war closer to our peace-ful parish Another sacrifice made-another distinction for Wyong Creek. The best wished of the district are extended to his family. The Australian flag was hoisted half mast at the local school (where he learnt his lessons) as a mark of respect to his memory.
Gosford Times 29th August 1918 B Company, 35
th Battalion, France 1
st July, 1918.-Dear
Mrs. Larvey- I regret having to write to you to say that Lance Corporal C E Riley was killed in action on the night of June 27
th. He was firing his gun when he was engaged
by an enemy gun and was hit through the head by a bullet. He lived for a few minutes, but was not in pain. He was buried in Doors Australian Military Cemetery, France, and a cross has been erected showing where he lies. Riley was an “old hand” in the Company, a good soldier, and a very efficient Lewis Gunner. He will be greatly missed by us all. He had also been recommended for a promotion to the rank of Corporal. I will ask you to accept my very deep sincere sympathy. – Yours sincerely, D L McKENZIE, LIEUT.
Gosford Times 10th October 1918 Soldiers’ Letters Private W J Earl, of Wyong, writing home re-garding the death of Lance-Cpl Ernie Reilly, who was killed in action on 27
th June last
says:- “Ernie was an old school mate of mine, and we have always been like brothers to each other. We have fought side by side ever since the 35
th Battalion came to France. He
was a good soldier and man, and was well respected by all who knew him. We buried him in an Australian cemetery in a little village a good distance behind the firing line, our Chaplain reading the burial service. We erected a cross with his regimental number and rank on it, and placed some artificial flow-ers and green violets on his grave. Since then a few of us Wyong boys have clubbed to-gether and bought a very nice artificial cross composed of all coloured beads, and erected same on his last resting place.” Mrs. Lervey has received the following letter from the Chaplain:- “France, July 4, 1918- Dear Mrs. Lervery, I expect that you will have already heard before you get this letter that your son, Lance Corporal E Reilly, fell in ac-tion a few days ago near Villers Bretonneux. He was in the front line when he was shot by machine gun fire, and death must have been instantaneous. The Colonel wishes me to as-sure you of his deep sympathy with you in your great loss, and I trust and pray that God will give you comfort and strength to bear it. Your son’s body was buried in a military cemetery near the line and I read the burial service at the grave side.- With kind regards and sympathy, I am, your sincerely, J E Nor-man Osborn, Chaplain, C E.
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196
Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8034196