Pte
Daniel Scullin
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1892 |
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Place of birth: Rozelle, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Boulder, Western Australia, Australia |
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Profession: Battery Hand |
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Religion: Roman Catholic |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 1996 |
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Enlistment date: 22/02/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Blackboy Hill, Western Australia, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 51st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Anzac, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 29 H |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Daniel Scullin served in the Australian Infantry 51st Battalion, part of the 13th Australian Brigade, of the 4th Australian Division. The Division participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood on the 26th of September 1917, with two Brigades. The 4th Australian Brigade on the right of the Divisional front and the 13th on the left. The attack of the 13th Australian Brigade was carried by the 50th Australian Battalion; the 49th and the 51st Battalions were in support.
The 51st took up positions with the 49th Battalion on the right flank and the 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, of the 3rd British Division, on the left. At 5.50 a.m. the allied artillery put down a heavy barrage 150 yards in front of the 50th Battalion. The barrage crept forward after five minutes, with the attacking Battalions behind it. Six minutes later they were followed by the 49th and 51st Australian Battalions. The Battalions of the 13th Brigade advanced down ANZAC Ridge through the valley of the Steenbeek, towards Tokio Spur on the left flank of Polygon Wood. The going was hard, because the terrain was boggy. The small stream of the Steenbeek, which served as a prewar irrigation canal, had turned the surrounding ground in a morass, as its banks had been destroyed by the relentless shelling. Consequently the rainwater had no way out and frequently inundated the lowlands. The men struggled and some off them sank knee-deep away in the mud. Small arms fire only inflicted small casualties, but the casualties, due to shelling were heavy.
Notwithstanding the boggy terrain and the fierce shelling, the men of the 49th and 51st Battalions moved through the 50th at their objective, the Red Line. And they advanced towards their own objective, the Blue Line, running from D.28.a.2.3 to D.28.d.7.5. They only encountered slight resistance on their way, and overran the Blue Line by 8.15 a.m. The surviving Germans withdrew and the 51st Battalion started consolidating the Blue Line. The men were deployed along the line under heavy German shell- and machine gun fire. On the right flank, the 4th Brigade reached and consolidated their objectives. The whole 4th Australian Division was now in position in the vicinity of the hamlet of Molenaarelsthoek, facing the heavy fortified German defensive line Flandern I. The British 3rd Division on the left flank was held up 200 yards short of the crest of the Windmill Cabaret Ridge.
Strong points and Lewis gun emplacements were established along the line. A communication trench was dug and two mortars and two Vickers machine guns were positioned behind the frontline. The Germans started enfilading the Battalion’s position with machine gun fire from 9 a.m. on. The German artillery also started shelling the frontline. At first hesitatingly, but soon the Germans put down some heavy barrages on the frontline. Company C on the left flank suffered numerous casualties. Including Private Daniel Scullin.
According to an eyewitness report, Private Daniel Scullin was struck by a shell and was blown to pieces. His brother Patrick, who also served in the Australian Infantry 51st Battalion, was wounded little later and was evacuated to a dressing station, where he died of his wounds.
Private Daniel Scullin’s remains were never recovered. He is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial. His brother Private Patrick Scullin was initially buried at the dressing station. He was later reburied on Buttes New British Cemetery in Polygon Wood.
The 51st took up positions with the 49th Battalion on the right flank and the 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, of the 3rd British Division, on the left. At 5.50 a.m. the allied artillery put down a heavy barrage 150 yards in front of the 50th Battalion. The barrage crept forward after five minutes, with the attacking Battalions behind it. Six minutes later they were followed by the 49th and 51st Australian Battalions. The Battalions of the 13th Brigade advanced down ANZAC Ridge through the valley of the Steenbeek, towards Tokio Spur on the left flank of Polygon Wood. The going was hard, because the terrain was boggy. The small stream of the Steenbeek, which served as a prewar irrigation canal, had turned the surrounding ground in a morass, as its banks had been destroyed by the relentless shelling. Consequently the rainwater had no way out and frequently inundated the lowlands. The men struggled and some off them sank knee-deep away in the mud. Small arms fire only inflicted small casualties, but the casualties, due to shelling were heavy.
Notwithstanding the boggy terrain and the fierce shelling, the men of the 49th and 51st Battalions moved through the 50th at their objective, the Red Line. And they advanced towards their own objective, the Blue Line, running from D.28.a.2.3 to D.28.d.7.5. They only encountered slight resistance on their way, and overran the Blue Line by 8.15 a.m. The surviving Germans withdrew and the 51st Battalion started consolidating the Blue Line. The men were deployed along the line under heavy German shell- and machine gun fire. On the right flank, the 4th Brigade reached and consolidated their objectives. The whole 4th Australian Division was now in position in the vicinity of the hamlet of Molenaarelsthoek, facing the heavy fortified German defensive line Flandern I. The British 3rd Division on the left flank was held up 200 yards short of the crest of the Windmill Cabaret Ridge.
Strong points and Lewis gun emplacements were established along the line. A communication trench was dug and two mortars and two Vickers machine guns were positioned behind the frontline. The Germans started enfilading the Battalion’s position with machine gun fire from 9 a.m. on. The German artillery also started shelling the frontline. At first hesitatingly, but soon the Germans put down some heavy barrages on the frontline. Company C on the left flank suffered numerous casualties. Including Private Daniel Scullin.
According to an eyewitness report, Private Daniel Scullin was struck by a shell and was blown to pieces. His brother Patrick, who also served in the Australian Infantry 51st Battalion, was wounded little later and was evacuated to a dressing station, where he died of his wounds.
Private Daniel Scullin’s remains were never recovered. He is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial. His brother Private Patrick Scullin was initially buried at the dressing station. He was later reburied on Buttes New British Cemetery in Polygon Wood.
Connection to other soldiers 1
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Patrick Scullin
Brother |
Sources 4
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51st Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/68/19). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |
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Browning N., For King and Cobbers 51st Battalion A.I.F., (Bassendean, Advance Press, 2007), pg. 161-168. Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, SCULLIN D). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 87-89. Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1600979 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=65e3be85-16a0-43c7-87cc-c11f4d16bbb8 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7644668 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=269580 |