CONLON, Peter David

Peter David Conlon was the son of Denis Conlon, of 419 Canning St. Carlton and his wife, Bridget (nee Egan).  He was born on 25 September, 1896, in Jolimont, but did not otherwise live in East Melbourne, and was the eldest of four children, the others May, Edie and Jack. His desire to serve in the military was apparently strong, as he enlisted on three separate occasions from 1916-1919. In each case, he was rapidly discharged.

His first attempt at serving was on 23 February, 1916. He was a factory hand, aged nineteen years and six months, living in Carlton. He was assigned to the No. 2 Company at Royal Park. After that, he joined the 5th Reinforcements, 58th Battalion at Seymour,. From here, he was swiftly to the Isolation Hospital at Langwarren and was diagnosed with V.D. on 7 March, 1916. He was returned to Broadmeadows on 31 August and on 27 September was discharged 'medically unfit, not due to misconduct. Conduct good.' 

He enlisted again on on 27 August, 1916, before he had actually been put out of the army. Now he was 18 years and 11 months, born in October 1897 and claimed to have served two months in  Cadet Corps at Geelong. He had a tattoo of the Belgian Flag, not there in his previous medical record. The service record that follows simply repeats the earlier information: 18/2/1916 Royal Park to Seymour; 8/3/16 Seymour to Langwarren; 9/4/16 Langwarren to Broadmeadows; 27/9/16  Discharged.

He has another enlistment form in his record, dated 12 October, 1916 . In this, he is listed as a factory hand, aged 21 years and 1 month old. He gives his father as next of kin, Denis Conlon at 419 Canning St, North Carlton. He claims to have had eighteen months service in the AIF. In the event, he was accepted and sent to England on board HMAT Suevic A29 from Sydney, the only Victorian in the group.

His record from then on is one of misbehaviour.  At Capetown, he failed to appear on parade and was given ten days' detention. He disembarked at Devonport and marched in to the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone. Here he neglected to obey an order, absenting  himself from guard duty after being duly warned, and was admonished. On 31 May, he was transferred to No. 1 Command Deport at Sutton Veny, committing a further offence on the way - travelling without a train ticket. On 5 June, he was marched out to Rollestone under escort - perhaps because he couldn't be trusted to get there. From here, he was sent to France on 9 July, but overstayed his leave pass, marching in to ADBD Havre a day late. On 15 July, he was given 14 days C.C., but the authorities must almost have given up by then. He was returned to England on 11 August, marched in to Perham Downs from Havre, and on 18 October, was sent back to Australia on H.S. Beltana, disembarking in Melbourne for Sydney. He was officially discharged, again for flat feet.

Peter Collins' fourth attempt was in 1919. He gave as his next of kin his mother, Bridget Conlon, living at 449 Canning St., North Carlton, a wrong address, and claimed that he had served 96 days in the AIF, with 32 days abroad. Attached to his application was a typed declaration 'I am not a member of the Association known as the Industrial Workers of the World or of any other Association within the meaning of the Unlawful Association Act.' In addition to the Belgian flag he now sported a Union Jack tattoo. He signed his enlistment paper on 12 February, 1919, for Home Service, but was discharged on 1 March, 1919, declared 'unfit for the duties of the corps', having served only eighteen days.

Peter Conlon appears in the electoral rolls only briefly. In 1924, he is living with his parents  in Canning St., North Carlton and working as a labourer.  He died in 1961, aged 62, at Sunbury, Victoria making his date of birth around 1899; in fact, in the BIrth Index, he was born in 1896, making him 65.