Lieutenant James Bernard Ryan MiD
1897 Queensland Jubilee Contingent,
1st Queensland Mounted Infantry Contingent,
7th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse,
Australian Instructional Corps
by Robert Simpson
James Bernard Ryan was born in Toowoomba on 4th March 1871, one of seven children to William Ryan and Anne Kilkeary. William and Anne were born in Ireland and were married in Ipswich. All their children were born in Toowoomba or Helidon.
On 6th August 1889, he married Bridget Mary Walsh at St. Patrick’s Church, Toowoomba and their first child, Margaret Ellen was born 2 days later. They had 5 boys and 2 girls in total from 1889 to 1907. Confusingly, they named one son the same name and he also named his son the same. He enlisted in the Queensland Defence Force on 30th November 1889. He served his apprenticeship as compositor on the Darling Downs Gazette, but resigned to join the 1st Contingent for South Africa. The 1895 Electoral Roll has them living in Margaret St, Toowoomba as does the 1900 roll. He was promoted to Corporal on 1st November 1896, to Sergeant on 21st October 1897, to Company Sergeant Major on 4th November 1898 and was transferred to Instructional Staff on 23rd March 1899. He was one of the contingent to go to the 1897 Jubilee in London.
He was described as being 5 foot 9 inches tall, chest measurement 35 to 38 inches, fresh complexion, blue eyes, light hair and no distinctive marks. He had to take a reduction in rank to join; to Sergeant, but was promoted to C.S.M. while there. With the 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry Contingent, he saw operations in Cape Colony from December 1899 to February 1900, including action at Sunnyside on 1st January 1900; operations in Orange Free State from February to May 1900, including actions at Dreifontein, Brantford, Vel River and Zand River; operations in Transvaal from May to June 1900, including action near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill; operations in Transvaal west of Pretoria from 1st July to 29th November 1900, including actions at Zilikats Nek; operations in Transvaal East of Pretoria from July to November 1900 including action at Reit Vlei ; operations in Cape Colony from 30th November to 13th December 1900.
C.S.M. 66 Ryan returned to Brisbane on the Orient on 16th January 1901 and was discharged on 23rd January being of sound health and constitution with one month’s full pay at Contingent rates. He had served 1 year and 196 days with the 1st Q.M.I. (13th October 1899 to 23rd January 1901). He was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette on 18th September 1901.
He re-signed on 18th May 1902 as No. 07/1 with the 7th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse at Wilston in Brisbane as R.S.M. (promoted 1st July 1901). The Battalion was raised entirely in Queensland. He gives his next-of-kin as his wife, Bridget Ryan c/o Staff Office Q.D.F. Rockhampton so he must have been posted there in the meantime. He signed a document stating that in event of his death, his family could not claim any pension from Imperial Funds nor make any claim against the government. He was Regimental Sergeant-Major for the Battalion. The Contingent steamed from Pinkenba on 19th May 1902 in the transport Custodian. They arrived at Durban on 22nd June. As peace had been declared they embarked on Manchester Merchant on 28th June and arrived back in Brisbane on 2nd August and were disbanded on the 9th.
He was with “H” Company Queensland Mounted Infantry for 9 years and 100 days.
Bridget’s Father, Thomas, passed away in 1904 and probate was granted to James Bernard Ryan, Rockhampton, sergeant-major in Defence Force. Her Father had been a police officer and had retired. He was promoted to Squadron Sergeant Major on 1st July 1904.
By the 1910 Electoral Roll he was living at the corner of Collingwood and Hawthorne Sts. Paddington as was listed as a drill instructor and in another roll as living at the corner of Wellington Rd and Trafalgar St and being a compositor. They had moved back to Toowoomba by 1910. He was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1 on 1st April 1912 and he did a Qualified Rifle Course from 1st November to 13 December. The 1915 roll has them living at Vacy St, Corey Estate, Newtown, Toowoomba and he was an instructor C.M.F.Q., he was also listed at Red Hill, Gympie; A and I Staff C.M.F. and in Brisbane as a compositor.
He was appointed Honorary Lieutenant on A & I Staff (temporary) from 16th December 1914 to 30th September 1919.
The Commonwealth Gazette noted the appointment of Warrant –officers (honorary lieutenants temporary) of the Instructional Staff, as lieutenants in the Australian Imperial Force. James was one of them. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for special services rendered during the war 1914-1919. He was one of only twenty-three Permanent Forces Warrant Officers to be awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for “specially Meritorious Service in Australia during the Great War”. He received the British War Medal even though he did not go overseas, as a Military Order granted the award under certain circumstances; he had volunteered to go overseas, but was needed for home duties which were deemed more important.
After the war, he lived at South Pine Rd, Enoggera in Brisbane and they remained there. They had named the house Dingley Dell as it appeared in the 1934 roll. He was appointed to be Quartermaster and honorary Lieutenant (on probation) in the Australian Instructional Corps on 15th October 1924 and was also appointed as Adjutant and Quartermaster of 9th Battalion on the same date. On 31st December 1924, he relinquished his appointment as Quartermaster and Honorary Lieutenant at his own request. He qualified on a Hotchkiss Machine Gun course in 1924. He reverts to rank of Warrant Officer Class 1A on 1st January 1925. He was placed on the Retired List with the rank of Lieutenant and with permission to wear the prescribed uniform on 1st January 1928. He had served 25 years and 194 days with the Australian Instructional Corps. In retirement, they lived in the same house in Enoggera.
On Saturday 6th August 1949, they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary and this was acknowledged in the Courier-Mail.
His wife passed away on 27th April 1952.
He passed away on 24th May 1952 and is buried in Lutwyche Cemetery Brisbane in the same grave with his wife and one of their sons, Edward Thomas.
His daughter-in-law, Mrs. Harriett Emily Ryan of Gympie passed way on the 23rd of May and an article was published in the Courier-Mail to comment on the closeness of these deaths.
His son James had a memorial inserted in the Courier-Mail on 25th May 1953.
His religion was Roman Catholic.
He was entitled to the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee medal 1897; Queens South Africa medal with 4 clasps- Cape Colony, Dreifontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill; British War Medal; Long Service and Good Conduct medal (EVII) and the Meritorious Service Medal (GV). He also had a second QSA with South Africa 1902 bar.
ANZAC Biographies
On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women
whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the
Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum,
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.