DALY, Patrick

Very little can be written about Patrick Daly. His name appears both on the 14th Battalion lists form the Australian War Memorial and on the Embarkation Roll, but the National Archives have no Service Records for him. On the Electoral Rolls, he appears in 1912 as a labourer, living at 394 Elizabeth St., Melbourne, but on no other Electoral Roll form 1912-1920.  He enlisted on 16 September, 1914, and declared that he was twenty years old and living with his mother, L. Daly, at 1089 Hoddle St., East Melbourne.  His occupation then was as a ship's fireman. After training, was placed in the 14th Battalion, which sailed for Egypt on HMAT Ulysses A 38 on 22 December, stopping at Albany, West Australia.

The 14th Battalion had been formed in the last week of September, 1914, at 178 Collins St., but on 1 October was relocated to Broadmeadows. Here, along with the 13th, 15th and 16th Battalions, they formed the 4th Division of the AIF, commanded by General Monash.

The Ulysses docked in Egypt on 31 January, 1915. The men were then sent for further training in Egypt before being sent to take part in the Gallipoli landing. On 25 April, 1915, they landed at Anzac Cove, where Lance Corporal Albert Jacka of the 14th Battalion won the Victoria Cross ofr his courage and leadership under fire. From then on, the 14th was known as 'Jacka's mob'. They were involved in the assault on Hill 971 and lost many soldiers in the subsquent attack on Hill 60. There is no reference to Patrick Daly in the lists of dead on the roll of Honour or in the Red Cross files of wounded. 

After withdrawal from Gallipoli, the 14th battalion sailed for France and the Western Front, landing first in England and then reaching France in June, 1916. From then on they were engaged in trench warfare, continuing in action until late September of 1918. Again, no mention of Patrick Daly can be foudn in the various files.

The war ended on 11 November, 1918, and the 14th Battalion soldiers returned first to England and, in November, 1919, returned to Australia for demobilisation and discharge.