John Alfred Dunn

Service number: 2134

Rank: Lance Corporal

Unit: 1st Battalion (Infantry)

Service: Australian Army

Date of death: 4 October 1917

Cemetery or memorial details: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium

War Grave Register notes:

DUNN, Lce. Cpl. John Alfred, 21344. 1st Bn. 4th Oct., 1917. Age 28. Son of John and Emily J. Dunn, of St. Omer, Edwin St., Manly. Native of Young, New South Wales.

Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army

Mr Dunn was born at Manly. He was a driver by trade. His mother, Mrs Emily Dunn, lived at Brisbane Street, and later St Omer, Edwin Street. He enlisted on 17 April 1915, aged 25.

He was wounded at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915, and was sent to Alexandria to recover. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 8 May 1917.

He was killed in action at Broodseinde Ridge (Ypres) on 4 October 1917.

His mother heard a report that he had been recommended for the DCM for bravery on Easter Sunday 1917, but no medal was awarded.He is commemorated in Panel 29 on the Menin Gate. He was 28.

The family lived at “St Omer”, Edwin Street, Manly – Sands’ Directory has Mrs Emily Dunn at no 12 Edwin Street in 1921 (the house was evidently built circa 1919). Harry was buried in Souvenir Cemetery, Longuenesse, near St Omer, France.

There is a headstone in Manly cemetery (Plot B288) commemorating the two men.Plot B288 Manly Cemetery. See story in Manly Daily, March 30, 2007, p9, Memorial Surprise, by John Morcombe.

A stained-glass window in St Paul’s Church, Seaforth, dedicated to Harry and John Dunn and to William Burrage, killed in WWI, was repaired courtesy of the Balgowlah-Seaforth RSL Club and sub-branch, and was rededicated on Sunday 1st April 2007. Grandchildren of Helen Dunn, sister to John and Harry, were in attendance, as were other relatives.