Pte
Joseph Ironside Pirie
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1892 |
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Place of birth: Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Bandon Grove, Dungog, New South Wales, Australia |
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Free Church |
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: 528 |
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Enlistment date: 25/11/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 35th Bn. (Newcastle's Own Regiment) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Defy Crossing, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXIII Row: B Grave: 22 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Joseph Ironside Pirie was the son of Alexander and Christian Pirie. He was born around 1892 in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. He emigrated to Australia and worked as a labourer. Joseph enlisted in the Australian Army and was a part of the 35th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (9th Brigade, 3rd Division).
Joseph died on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting lines of the attack on Passchendaele were near Keerselaarhoek. At 5.25 a.m., the starting signal for the attack was given. The 35th Battalion advanced in support of the 34th Battalion. They managed to capture Hillside Farm and Augustus Wood, thus reaching their first objectives. After a temporary delay due to machine gun fire, they managed to advance further. The consolidation lasted until around 3 p.m. The battalion was then forced to retreat to the vicinity of Augustus Wood. The attack ended about 300 yards beyond the original starting lines.
Joseph was killed in action at the age of 25. According to one witness, he was killed in the trenches just before the attack began. According to other witnesses, he was killed in a shell crater by a grenade, which also destroyed the Lewis Gun they were manning. After the war, his body was found near Defy Crossing. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Joseph died on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting lines of the attack on Passchendaele were near Keerselaarhoek. At 5.25 a.m., the starting signal for the attack was given. The 35th Battalion advanced in support of the 34th Battalion. They managed to capture Hillside Farm and Augustus Wood, thus reaching their first objectives. After a temporary delay due to machine gun fire, they managed to advance further. The consolidation lasted until around 3 p.m. The battalion was then forced to retreat to the vicinity of Augustus Wood. The attack ended about 300 yards beyond the original starting lines.
Joseph was killed in action at the age of 25. According to one witness, he was killed in the trenches just before the attack began. According to other witnesses, he was killed in a shell crater by a grenade, which also destroyed the Lewis Gun they were manning. After the war, his body was found near Defy Crossing. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 5
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35th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/52/4). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 PIRIE J). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1057408). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129. Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ 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/464298 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b6ac3629-1d3c-45fa-bd87-e3dbdf4c6372 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7550450 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=241974 |