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Private Edward John (Jack) Francis Ryan - VC

Place of birth: Tumut, NSW

Date of death: 3 June 1941

Place of death: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC

John Ryan, born at Tumut, New South Wales, was a labourer on enlistment in December 1915. He embarked the following April, joining the 55th Battalion in France in September.

During the battalion's attack on the Hindenburg defences near Bellicourt, on 30 September 1918, Ryan went forward under heavy fire and was one of the first to reach an enemy trench. A German counter-attack drove the Australians back, placing them in a critical position. Ryan organised and led an attack on the Germans with bombs and bayonets. His small party killed three Germans, then he single-handedly rushed the remainder and drove them back. He was badly wounded in the shoulder, but his action enabled the trench to be retaken.

After the war Ryan struggled to find employment, particularly during the Depression years. From 1935 he worked for some time with an insurance company, but his health deteriorated and he died of pneumonia in 1941.

Of the five additional members of the A.I.F. who, as reported in the "Herald" on Saturday, have been awarded the Victoria Cross, two enlisted in New South Wales and one each in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. Particulars relating to these five members at the time of enlisting and their careers with the A.I.F. were obtained from the Defence Department to-day:-

Major Blair Anderson Wark, D.E.O. is only 24 years of age. Before enlisting he was a quantity surveyor, and was a lieutenant at North Sydney in the 18th infantry Regiment, Australian Military Forces. After joining the 30th Battalion in 1915, and leaving Australia in November of that year, he was promoted to the rank of captain, and late in 1918 to major. He was mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the D.E.O. in 1917,shortly after attaining his majority. He is a son of Mrs Wark, of 28 Mount Street, North Sydney.

Private John Ryan was a labourer before he enlisted at Wagga on December 1, 1915, at the age of 25 years. He Left Australia in April, 1916, with the second reinforcements to the 55th Battalion. His mother, Mrs. E. Rayn, lives at tumut.

Lance-corporal Bernard Sidney Gordon is a native of Launceston, but enlisted at Townsville in September, 1915, at the age of 24 years. he had been following the occupation of a cooper's machinist, and joined the 41st Battalion. Lance-corporal Gordon is married, and his wife lives in Beaconsfield, Tasmania.

The late Lance-corporal Lawrence Carthage Weathers was a native of New Zealand. He joined the 43rd Battalion at Adelaide in Febru- ary, 1916 and when he enlisted was 25 years of age, and was employed as a foreman undertaker. His widow, Mrs. Annie Elizabeth Weathers, and two children, reside in Franklin Street, Fullarton Estate, South Australia.

Private James Park Woods is a native of Gawler, South Australia, and was a vigneron before enlisting in Perth, Western Australia, In September, 1910, at the age of 25 years. His next-of-kin is his brother, Mr. W.J. Woods of Barass road, Payneham. S.A. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Monday 30 December 1918).

Private John Ryan, who, as recently announced in the "S.M. Herald," has been awarded the Victoria Cross, is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan, of Tumut, New South Wales, and enlisted at Wagga with the "Kangaroos" at the end of 1915.

Shortly before the signing of the armistice Private Ryan, who at the time of his enlistment, was 25 years of age, and a labourer, was reported as having been wounded and admitted to hospital in France. On the same day September 30th he was in an attack on the Hindenburg defences, when the enemy counter-attacked and established a bombing post in the rear.

Private Ryan saved a particularly dangerous situation. He led a party of men with bombs and bayonets, and killed the first three Germans in the trench by skilful bayoneting. Ryan then also rushed the remainder with bombs. He fell wounded in No Man's Land. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Wednesday 15 January 1919).

From the Euripedes, which arrived in Sydney Harbour yesterday morning, 708 New South Wales troops and a large contingent for Queensland were disembarked.

Among those on board were Captain Albert Jacka, V.C, M.C. and bar, the first Australian to whom the coveted cross was awarded during the war, and Private John Ryan, V.C., of Tumut (N.S.W.). Captain Jacka came out on the Euripides as adjutant, and returned to his home in Victoria last night.

Ryan was seized by a number of the soldiers, hoisted shoulder high and carried amid a scene of CAPTAIN ALBERT JACKA, V.C, M.C. AND BAR. great enthusiasm to the Premier's car. In this he was whisked off to the Anzac Buffet to join a proud and anxious mother, Mrs. Eugene Ryan, of Tumut, and an equally proud brother, Trooper Malcolm Ryan, a Light Horseman, who recently returned from the campaign In Palestine.

Ryan, V.C. Joined the "Kangaroos" at Wagga in Decembor, 1915. He is 30 years of ago, a thin, lithe man with a smiling face that has been burned a deep mahogany brown his general appearance beings suggestive of great activity rather than strength.

From his arrival in Egypt a few months after enlistment he served continuously in the field until wounded in the desperate fight at Bullecourt for the Hindenburg line on September 30 last year.

For his courage and dash on that occasion he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

He had been one of the first to reach an enemy trench on the first assault.

There his daring and resource assisted to inspire his comrades, and in spite of heavy gunfire the enemy was overcome.

The enemy, however, counter-attacked and establishing a bombing party in the rear of the trench, which was under fire from the front, made the position of the Australians very critical.

Ryan led the men with him in an attack on the bombers, finally reaching them with only three companions.

The small party effective work with the bayonet, and when his three mates had fallon Ryan, left on the embankment alone, rushed the remainder of the enemy with bombs and routed them. He was picked up wounded, but had saved the situation.

Jacka enlisted at the age of 21, and before entering the service was a fencer employed by the Victorian Forestry Department at I Wedderburn. The circumstances under which as a lance-corporal he won the Victoria Cross at Courtney's Post, Gallipoli, in a single-handed bayonet fight with a body of Turks, and later gained further decorations in the fearful struggle at Pozieres and again at Bullecourt, besides being mentioned in despatches from Messines and Polygon Wood, have been often told. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Saturday 25 October 1919).

"YOU can talk of your generals and your colonels and your majors," said the Digger, looking aggressively around the table at our Friday luncheon club, "but where would they be without the Rank and File to do the job'" Don't look at me in that tone of voice," pleaded the Major, "because I rather agree with you ' Who doesn t'" asked the Skipper "I'm a seafairing man, but I've read and heard enough about warfare to know that if you can't rely on the private soldier, all the brain work and organisation of the Higher Command goes for nothing ".

All the same," growled the Digger, "it's not everybody that will give the rank and file their due " Look here," put in the Signals Officer I think you've got a story or something Have you been reading about some super private who saved the situation and won a peerage' Not a peel age'" said the Digger "The VC

Then you have got a story'" The Signals Officer looked triumphant "What about giving him the floor, Skipper?' He's got it'" said the Skipper, ordering the same again.

He enlisted at Wagga in December, 1915, and went overseas with the 55th Battalion He gained Story Of An Epic Deed That Helped To Smash The Famous Hindenburg Line in 1918 the Victoria Cross on September 30, 1918, the day after we began our assault on the Hinden burg Line. He won his award as a private soldier, and as a private soldier he performed prodigious feats of arms that almost put him in a class by himself. You know how w hnt.t.prpri ourselves against the Hindenburg Line, until Foch decided that every sacrifice must be made to overthrow the German defences there before 1918 ended.

Ryan's crowd was in it from the word "Go." Remember the artillery bombardment of Jerry's lines? It began on September 26, as a curtain-raiser to an attack by two American and three Australian divisions, plus Corps troops - about 200,000 men. Remember how the Americans went on, and the Germans popped up from their underground "hideouts" along the canal and held up the Aussies in the second phase of the operations?

The Allied plans miscarried. There could be no methodical advance covered by a coordinated artillery barrage. Progress depended on the tenacity and leading of the front line of the troops. It was bomb and bayonet business for the Diggers. Sir John Monash labelled it "a private soldiers' battle." Day after the hop-over there was some pretty tough hand-to-hand fighting in that tangle of trenches, but it wasn t till October that the Germans yielded and the Hindenburg Line began the "pack up" that ended the war.

Now listen to what Jack Ryan did on that second day of the assault. He was one of the first men in his company to reach their objective trench. He went into action with such dash and used his bayonet in such an inspired fashion that his cobbers seemed ready to follow him anywhere. They took a terrible belting from German artillery and machine guns, but they gained the trench, and with Ryan's example to sustain them, hung on to the death. Then they found there was a big gap between the left of Ryan's unit and the unit on the flank. Before there was time to do anything about it the Fritzes counter-attacked. Some of them got through the gap and bombed our lads from the rear. Something had to be done, and done quickly.

Ryan summed up the situation instantly. All the officers and N.C.O.'s had become casualties. Somebody had to take charge. Quickly Jack Ryan got together a few men. With bayonet and bomb they rushed the Germans. They ran right into a hail of bombs. Ryan reached the enemy position with only three men.

The quartet of Diggers was outnumbered, but by skilful bayonet work they killed three Germans, and rushed the remainder with bombs. At that moment Ryan fell, wounded in the shoulder. But his dashing assault had driven off the Germans, and those who had not been killed or wounded by his bombs were picked off by our Lewis gunners as they panicked across No Man's Land.

For two days Ryan's battalion and another fought skilfully and bravely in the position won by his amazing courage and resourcefulness. Inspired by the thought of what he had done, the men fought like demons and kept the Germans at bay during one of the critical stages of the assault on the Hindenburg Line.

Yes, it was a private soldiers' war, all right; and when an officer of the calibre of Sir John Monash admits that the position couldn't have been taken but for the work of the humble infantryman, who's to contradict him? - (Ref- The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) Previous issue Saturday 10 May 1941).