Richard Lewis Weir (WW1, M.C, D.C.M)
See also :
Darebin Roll of Honour - World War One (A to H)
Darebin Roll of Honour - World War One (I to N)
Darebin Roll of Honour - World War One (O to Z)
[edit] Weir, Richard Lewis (Distinguished Conduct Medal, Military Cross)
Key Address : Bell Street, Preston (later "Ulupna", Bundoora)
Rank and Unit : 2nd Lieutenant, 21st Battalion (Infantry)
Embarked : Private 21 Infantry Battalion (May 1915)
Embarked : HMAT Ulysses
Ship Number : A38
Date of Embarkation : 10 May 1915
Place of Embarkation : Melbourne
Service Number : 537 Enlisted : 28/09/1914 At :
Born At : Northcote Educated At :
Date of Death : 26/07/1918 Aged : 24
Place of Death : Villers Bretonneux, France
Buried At : 1170 Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Fouilloy
Occupation : Farmer
Marital Status : Single Religion : C. of E.
Next of Parents William Adam (late) and Ellen Weir (nee Potter)
Kin/Family : Step-mother Catherine Otto Weir (nee Crosswell)
Eyewitnesses :
"I saw Lieut. Dick Weir of A. Coy hit in the stomach in front of Villers Bretonneux at night (about 10-10.30 p.m)) whilst leading a fatigue party at the time. He was carried back by two of the men to the Dressing Station and died on the stretcher on arrival there. He was buried at the Austral Military Cemetery and a cross and head stone were erected. The news of him been awarded the "M.C." came through on the night he was killed. Lieut Weir was a fine fellow and a good soldier, well-liked by the men" (M. J. W. Irwin, 186, 21 Battn. A. Coy)
Notes :
Weir and his family were farming in Bundoora at the time of his enlistment, but they had long associations with both Darebin and Whittlesea districts.
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in October 1917, when, as a Sergeant, he took command of his Company when all commissioned officers were incapacitated and led a successful attack on a machine gun post. The D.C.M. was only availalbe to non-commissioned ranks (below Lieutenant) and was the second highest award for bravery after the Victoria Cross.
His Military Cross came in July, 1918, when under heavy fire, he reconnoitred an enemy position and then led a frontal attack on enemy trenches. He was killed when hit by a machine-gun bullet when commanding a party digging a communications trench.
After embarking, he spent two and a half years as a private, both in the Dardanelles and in France, before being promoted to Corporal in February, 1917, to Sergeant in July of the same year, and to 2nd Lieutenant in June, 1918.
Richard Weir is listed in Births, Deaths and Marriages as being born in Northcote in 1894, and the Sands and McDougall Directory of the same year place the family in Bell Street, Preston, where two younger children, James (1896) and Trevor (1900, also A.I.F.) were both born. The family then appear to have been farming in Bundoora from around 1902.
Weir's father William died in March, 1915, six weeks before Richard embarked. Leader reports from Whittlesea Shire meetings during the war years have a "Cr. Weir" prominent in local affairs, presumably an uncle.
Catherine was William's second wife (they married in Yan Yean, 1893), having previously wed Ellen Potter in 1888. There was one surviving child from that period, Ruby (1890, Whittlesea), another Violet, died just after childbirth. Ellen Weir died in 1892, the place of death listed as Malvern (as for Violet). Both Ellen Potter and Catherine Crosswell are listed as being born in Lexton, suggesting that they may have been cousins or otherwise related.
The dangers in trying to second guess exactly where some of the servicemen from the northern parts of the district came from is exemplified by Weir; he appears on the Greensborough Memorial.
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