Service Number: 4779
Enlisted: 21 September 1915, Toowoomba, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion
Born: Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, April 1887
Home Town: Heathcote, Greater Bendigo, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Acute meningitis, 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France, 17 December 1916
Cemetery: Allonville Communal Cemetery
Row A, Grave no. 32
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Henry Bruce DEVANNY was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria
His parents were John DEVANNY and Ellen STUDDAMS
He enlisted on 21st September, 1915 in Toowoomba, Queensland with the 15th Infantry Battalion as a Private and embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Brisbane on the HMAT Commonwealth on the 28th March, 1916
Henry died on 17th December, 1916 at the No. 39 Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France of acute meningitis - he is buried in Allonville Communal Cemetery and his name is also memorialised at the Australian War Memorial and the McIvor Roll of Honour in Victoria
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
From François Berthout
Pte 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny
15th Australian Infantry Battalion,
4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division
Through the fog of a new autumn day on the Somme, stretch as far as the eye can see the old battlefields and the rows of white graves between which fall asleep the poppies among which stand, silent, solemn and proud, thousands of young boys, a whole generation of brave men who, in the trenches, in the mateship and in the fraternity, faced the horrors of the war and who shoulder to shoulder, charged under torrents of bullets and who, in barbed wire, in shell holes and in front of enemy lines, fell for what was right and which, for their countries which they made proud, for France, for peace, for a better world, gave the best of 'themselves and sacrificed their youth, gave their today and their lives so that we can have a tomorrow in which we will always watch over them with respect and care so that their sacrifices and their courage are never forgotten, so that their names live forever.
Today, it is with the deepest respect and utmost gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny who fought in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division, and who died of illness 105 years ago, on Sunday December 17, 1916 at the age of 29 on the Somme front.
Henry Bruce Devanny was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, and was the son of John Devanny (1824-1903) and Ellen Devanny (née Studdams 1858-1916), of Heathcote. Henry had three brothers, John Thomas (1877-1952), William George (1880-1950), Henry (1884-1885), and two sisters, Margaret Elizabeth Ellen (1882-1963) and Mary Ann (1891-1956). Before the outbreak of the war, Henry lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, where he worked as a labourer.
Henry enlisted on September 21, 1915 at Toowoomba in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan then by Colonel John Monash. After a period of six months of training at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria, Henry embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A73 Commonwealth on March 28, 1916 and sailed for Egypt.
On May 5, 1916, Henry arrived in Egypt where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion was reinforced by experienced men who fought earlier at Gallipoli and three months later, on August 6, embarked from Alexandria on board "Megantic", a British transatlantic liner from the shipping company "White Star Line" and were sent to england where Henry was disembarked on September 23 then sent to the 4th Training Battalion and proceeded overseas for France and arrived the next day at Etaples.
On September 24, 1916, Henry was sent to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, proceeded to join his unit on October 2 and taken on strength on October 4 in the trenches of St Eloi, near Ypres, where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion suffered many losses due to artillery and enemy snipers then on October 8, were relieved by the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion and marched for Ontario Camp near Reninghelst where they were billeted until October 12 then joined the Zillebeke trenches where they relieved the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion and reinforced, fortified the trenches and fought bravely in this sector until October 19 and moved back to Ontario Camp and marched through Reninghelst, Godewaersvelde and on October 27, were sent in the Somme at Pont-Remy.
On November 1, 1916, Henry and the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion left Pont-Remy and marched for l'Etoile, near Amiens, the next day then joined Picquigny where they were billeted and followed a period of training until November 5 then the battaillon left Picquigny and arrived the next day on Albert Road where they bivouacked until the end of December but on December 14, Henry fell seriously ill and was evacuated to the 1st Anzac Dressing Station then to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, Somme,suffering from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis but despite the greatest care he received, Henry's health deteriorated very quickly and died three days later, he was 29 years old.
Today, Henry Bruce Devanny rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Allonville Communal Cemetery, Somme.
Henry, it is in the prime of your life that with courage and determination you answered the call of duty to serve alongside your comrades and your brothers in arms on the battlefields of Belgium and France, in the trenches and the barbed wire fields of the Somme on which so many lives, dreams and hopes were shattered in turmoil, in the hell of a world gone mad that sent so many young boys to their fates through storms of steel which fell on their shoulders and which, under the bite of the shells and shrapnels were broken and forever changed by the physical and psychological scars with which they had to live but despite this endless nightmare that was their war, they stood with conviction and bravery in the mud, in the blood and cold of the trenches alongside their best friends, they stood united and strong in the face of inhumanity and death that roamed and rained all around them , they fought with fear in their stomachs but never gave up, despite the howl of shells and the shrill and deadly whistle of bullets they held their positions with their heads held high under their slouch hat and steel helmet, the Diggers showed courage and determination , the spirit of solidarity of all Australia whose sons and daughters did and gave so much for France and who for four years fought with exceptional dedication in the fields of the Somme which were once peaceful and silent and became putrid quagmires, fields of death on which flowed the blood and tears of a whole generation of heroes who gave their today far from home and who, through the attacks on no man's land, sacrificed their youth by facing the fire of the machine guns under which they fell in silent waves, their eyes turned to the sky, motionless through the poppies, their lives were taken too soon. On the battlefields, many of them were cut down by bullets, disease and the horrible conditions in which they lived and fought but each of them did their duty to the end, they served together for the peace and freedom in which we live and for which they fell and found in the fields of France, in the Somme, the silence of their last resting places where they stand and walk silently and where their names and their memories will live forever.Gone but not and never forgotten, I would always stand before them with respect in remembrance, so that their names and faces, their courage remain in the light and their sacrifices never be forgotten.In the fields of the Somme, these young boys, my boys of the Somme and the spirit of ANZAC, the courage of Australia, will live forever on these sacred lands and in our hearts. Thank you so much Henry,for everything. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
Enlisted: 21 September 1915, Toowoomba, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion
Born: Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, April 1887
Home Town: Heathcote, Greater Bendigo, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Acute meningitis, 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France, 17 December 1916
Cemetery: Allonville Communal Cemetery
Row A, Grave no. 32
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Henry Bruce DEVANNY was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria
His parents were John DEVANNY and Ellen STUDDAMS
He enlisted on 21st September, 1915 in Toowoomba, Queensland with the 15th Infantry Battalion as a Private and embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Brisbane on the HMAT Commonwealth on the 28th March, 1916
Henry died on 17th December, 1916 at the No. 39 Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France of acute meningitis - he is buried in Allonville Communal Cemetery and his name is also memorialised at the Australian War Memorial and the McIvor Roll of Honour in Victoria
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
From François Berthout
Pte 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny
15th Australian Infantry Battalion,
4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division
Through the fog of a new autumn day on the Somme, stretch as far as the eye can see the old battlefields and the rows of white graves between which fall asleep the poppies among which stand, silent, solemn and proud, thousands of young boys, a whole generation of brave men who, in the trenches, in the mateship and in the fraternity, faced the horrors of the war and who shoulder to shoulder, charged under torrents of bullets and who, in barbed wire, in shell holes and in front of enemy lines, fell for what was right and which, for their countries which they made proud, for France, for peace, for a better world, gave the best of 'themselves and sacrificed their youth, gave their today and their lives so that we can have a tomorrow in which we will always watch over them with respect and care so that their sacrifices and their courage are never forgotten, so that their names live forever.
Today, it is with the deepest respect and utmost gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny who fought in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division, and who died of illness 105 years ago, on Sunday December 17, 1916 at the age of 29 on the Somme front.
Henry Bruce Devanny was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, and was the son of John Devanny (1824-1903) and Ellen Devanny (née Studdams 1858-1916), of Heathcote. Henry had three brothers, John Thomas (1877-1952), William George (1880-1950), Henry (1884-1885), and two sisters, Margaret Elizabeth Ellen (1882-1963) and Mary Ann (1891-1956). Before the outbreak of the war, Henry lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, where he worked as a labourer.
Henry enlisted on September 21, 1915 at Toowoomba in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan then by Colonel John Monash. After a period of six months of training at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria, Henry embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A73 Commonwealth on March 28, 1916 and sailed for Egypt.
On May 5, 1916, Henry arrived in Egypt where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion was reinforced by experienced men who fought earlier at Gallipoli and three months later, on August 6, embarked from Alexandria on board "Megantic", a British transatlantic liner from the shipping company "White Star Line" and were sent to england where Henry was disembarked on September 23 then sent to the 4th Training Battalion and proceeded overseas for France and arrived the next day at Etaples.
On September 24, 1916, Henry was sent to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, proceeded to join his unit on October 2 and taken on strength on October 4 in the trenches of St Eloi, near Ypres, where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion suffered many losses due to artillery and enemy snipers then on October 8, were relieved by the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion and marched for Ontario Camp near Reninghelst where they were billeted until October 12 then joined the Zillebeke trenches where they relieved the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion and reinforced, fortified the trenches and fought bravely in this sector until October 19 and moved back to Ontario Camp and marched through Reninghelst, Godewaersvelde and on October 27, were sent in the Somme at Pont-Remy.
On November 1, 1916, Henry and the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion left Pont-Remy and marched for l'Etoile, near Amiens, the next day then joined Picquigny where they were billeted and followed a period of training until November 5 then the battaillon left Picquigny and arrived the next day on Albert Road where they bivouacked until the end of December but on December 14, Henry fell seriously ill and was evacuated to the 1st Anzac Dressing Station then to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, Somme,suffering from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis but despite the greatest care he received, Henry's health deteriorated very quickly and died three days later, he was 29 years old.
Today, Henry Bruce Devanny rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Allonville Communal Cemetery, Somme.
Henry, it is in the prime of your life that with courage and determination you answered the call of duty to serve alongside your comrades and your brothers in arms on the battlefields of Belgium and France, in the trenches and the barbed wire fields of the Somme on which so many lives, dreams and hopes were shattered in turmoil, in the hell of a world gone mad that sent so many young boys to their fates through storms of steel which fell on their shoulders and which, under the bite of the shells and shrapnels were broken and forever changed by the physical and psychological scars with which they had to live but despite this endless nightmare that was their war, they stood with conviction and bravery in the mud, in the blood and cold of the trenches alongside their best friends, they stood united and strong in the face of inhumanity and death that roamed and rained all around them , they fought with fear in their stomachs but never gave up, despite the howl of shells and the shrill and deadly whistle of bullets they held their positions with their heads held high under their slouch hat and steel helmet, the Diggers showed courage and determination , the spirit of solidarity of all Australia whose sons and daughters did and gave so much for France and who for four years fought with exceptional dedication in the fields of the Somme which were once peaceful and silent and became putrid quagmires, fields of death on which flowed the blood and tears of a whole generation of heroes who gave their today far from home and who, through the attacks on no man's land, sacrificed their youth by facing the fire of the machine guns under which they fell in silent waves, their eyes turned to the sky, motionless through the poppies, their lives were taken too soon. On the battlefields, many of them were cut down by bullets, disease and the horrible conditions in which they lived and fought but each of them did their duty to the end, they served together for the peace and freedom in which we live and for which they fell and found in the fields of France, in the Somme, the silence of their last resting places where they stand and walk silently and where their names and their memories will live forever.Gone but not and never forgotten, I would always stand before them with respect in remembrance, so that their names and faces, their courage remain in the light and their sacrifices never be forgotten.In the fields of the Somme, these young boys, my boys of the Somme and the spirit of ANZAC, the courage of Australia, will live forever on these sacred lands and in our hearts. Thank you so much Henry,for everything. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
Service Number: 4779
Enlisted: 21 September 1915, Toowoomba, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion
Born: Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, April 1887
Home Town: Heathcote, Greater Bendigo, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Acute meningitis, 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France, 17 December 1916
Cemetery: Allonville Communal Cemetery
Row A, Grave no. 32
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Henry Bruce DEVANNY was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria
His parents were John DEVANNY and Ellen STUDDAMS
He enlisted on 21st September, 1915 in Toowoomba, Queensland with the 15th Infantry Battalion as a Private and embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Brisbane on the HMAT Commonwealth on the 28th March, 1916
Henry died on 17th December, 1916 at the No. 39 Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France of acute meningitis - he is buried in Allonville Communal Cemetery and his name is also memorialised at the Australian War Memorial and the McIvor Roll of Honour in Victoria
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
From François Berthout
Pte 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny
15th Australian Infantry Battalion,
4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division
Through the fog of a new autumn day on the Somme, stretch as far as the eye can see the old battlefields and the rows of white graves between which fall asleep the poppies among which stand, silent, solemn and proud, thousands of young boys, a whole generation of brave men who, in the trenches, in the mateship and in the fraternity, faced the horrors of the war and who shoulder to shoulder, charged under torrents of bullets and who, in barbed wire, in shell holes and in front of enemy lines, fell for what was right and which, for their countries which they made proud, for France, for peace, for a better world, gave the best of 'themselves and sacrificed their youth, gave their today and their lives so that we can have a tomorrow in which we will always watch over them with respect and care so that their sacrifices and their courage are never forgotten, so that their names live forever.
Today, it is with the deepest respect and utmost gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny who fought in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division, and who died of illness 105 years ago, on Sunday December 17, 1916 at the age of 29 on the Somme front.
Henry Bruce Devanny was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, and was the son of John Devanny (1824-1903) and Ellen Devanny (née Studdams 1858-1916), of Heathcote. Henry had three brothers, John Thomas (1877-1952), William George (1880-1950), Henry (1884-1885), and two sisters, Margaret Elizabeth Ellen (1882-1963) and Mary Ann (1891-1956). Before the outbreak of the war, Henry lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, where he worked as a labourer.
Henry enlisted on September 21, 1915 at Toowoomba in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan then by Colonel John Monash. After a period of six months of training at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria, Henry embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A73 Commonwealth on March 28, 1916 and sailed for Egypt.
On May 5, 1916, Henry arrived in Egypt where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion was reinforced by experienced men who fought earlier at Gallipoli and three months later, on August 6, embarked from Alexandria on board "Megantic", a British transatlantic liner from the shipping company "White Star Line" and were sent to england where Henry was disembarked on September 23 then sent to the 4th Training Battalion and proceeded overseas for France and arrived the next day at Etaples.
On September 24, 1916, Henry was sent to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, proceeded to join his unit on October 2 and taken on strength on October 4 in the trenches of St Eloi, near Ypres, where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion suffered many losses due to artillery and enemy snipers then on October 8, were relieved by the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion and marched for Ontario Camp near Reninghelst where they were billeted until October 12 then joined the Zillebeke trenches where they relieved the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion and reinforced, fortified the trenches and fought bravely in this sector until October 19 and moved back to Ontario Camp and marched through Reninghelst, Godewaersvelde and on October 27, were sent in the Somme at Pont-Remy.
On November 1, 1916, Henry and the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion left Pont-Remy and marched for l'Etoile, near Amiens, the next day then joined Picquigny where they were billeted and followed a period of training until November 5 then the battaillon left Picquigny and arrived the next day on Albert Road where they bivouacked until the end of December but on December 14, Henry fell seriously ill and was evacuated to the 1st Anzac Dressing Station then to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, Somme,suffering from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis but despite the greatest care he received, Henry's health deteriorated very quickly and died three days later, he was 29 years old.
Today, Henry Bruce Devanny rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Allonville Communal Cemetery, Somme.
Henry, it is in the prime of your life that with courage and determination you answered the call of duty to serve alongside your comrades and your brothers in arms on the battlefields of Belgium and France, in the trenches and the barbed wire fields of the Somme on which so many lives, dreams and hopes were shattered in turmoil, in the hell of a world gone mad that sent so many young boys to their fates through storms of steel which fell on their shoulders and which, under the bite of the shells and shrapnels were broken and forever changed by the physical and psychological scars with which they had to live but despite this endless nightmare that was their war, they stood with conviction and bravery in the mud, in the blood and cold of the trenches alongside their best friends, they stood united and strong in the face of inhumanity and death that roamed and rained all around them , they fought with fear in their stomachs but never gave up, despite the howl of shells and the shrill and deadly whistle of bullets they held their positions with their heads held high under their slouch hat and steel helmet, the Diggers showed courage and determination , the spirit of solidarity of all Australia whose sons and daughters did and gave so much for France and who for four years fought with exceptional dedication in the fields of the Somme which were once peaceful and silent and became putrid quagmires, fields of death on which flowed the blood and tears of a whole generation of heroes who gave their today far from home and who, through the attacks on no man's land, sacrificed their youth by facing the fire of the machine guns under which they fell in silent waves, their eyes turned to the sky, motionless through the poppies, their lives were taken too soon. On the battlefields, many of them were cut down by bullets, disease and the horrible conditions in which they lived and fought but each of them did their duty to the end, they served together for the peace and freedom in which we live and for which they fell and found in the fields of France, in the Somme, the silence of their last resting places where they stand and walk silently and where their names and their memories will live forever.Gone but not and never forgotten, I would always stand before them with respect in remembrance, so that their names and faces, their courage remain in the light and their sacrifices never be forgotten.In the fields of the Somme, these young boys, my boys of the Somme and the spirit of ANZAC, the courage of Australia, will live forever on these sacred lands and in our hearts. Thank you so much Henry,for everything. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
Enlisted: 21 September 1915, Toowoomba, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion
Born: Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, April 1887
Home Town: Heathcote, Greater Bendigo, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Acute meningitis, 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France, 17 December 1916
Cemetery: Allonville Communal Cemetery
Row A, Grave no. 32
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Henry Bruce DEVANNY was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria
His parents were John DEVANNY and Ellen STUDDAMS
He enlisted on 21st September, 1915 in Toowoomba, Queensland with the 15th Infantry Battalion as a Private and embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Brisbane on the HMAT Commonwealth on the 28th March, 1916
Henry died on 17th December, 1916 at the No. 39 Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, France of acute meningitis - he is buried in Allonville Communal Cemetery and his name is also memorialised at the Australian War Memorial and the McIvor Roll of Honour in Victoria
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
From François Berthout
Pte 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny
15th Australian Infantry Battalion,
4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division
Through the fog of a new autumn day on the Somme, stretch as far as the eye can see the old battlefields and the rows of white graves between which fall asleep the poppies among which stand, silent, solemn and proud, thousands of young boys, a whole generation of brave men who, in the trenches, in the mateship and in the fraternity, faced the horrors of the war and who shoulder to shoulder, charged under torrents of bullets and who, in barbed wire, in shell holes and in front of enemy lines, fell for what was right and which, for their countries which they made proud, for France, for peace, for a better world, gave the best of 'themselves and sacrificed their youth, gave their today and their lives so that we can have a tomorrow in which we will always watch over them with respect and care so that their sacrifices and their courage are never forgotten, so that their names live forever.
Today, it is with the deepest respect and utmost gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 4779 Henry Bruce Devanny who fought in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Australian Division, and who died of illness 105 years ago, on Sunday December 17, 1916 at the age of 29 on the Somme front.
Henry Bruce Devanny was born in 1887 in Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, and was the son of John Devanny (1824-1903) and Ellen Devanny (née Studdams 1858-1916), of Heathcote. Henry had three brothers, John Thomas (1877-1952), William George (1880-1950), Henry (1884-1885), and two sisters, Margaret Elizabeth Ellen (1882-1963) and Mary Ann (1891-1956). Before the outbreak of the war, Henry lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, where he worked as a labourer.
Henry enlisted on September 21, 1915 at Toowoomba in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan then by Colonel John Monash. After a period of six months of training at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria, Henry embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A73 Commonwealth on March 28, 1916 and sailed for Egypt.
On May 5, 1916, Henry arrived in Egypt where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion was reinforced by experienced men who fought earlier at Gallipoli and three months later, on August 6, embarked from Alexandria on board "Megantic", a British transatlantic liner from the shipping company "White Star Line" and were sent to england where Henry was disembarked on September 23 then sent to the 4th Training Battalion and proceeded overseas for France and arrived the next day at Etaples.
On September 24, 1916, Henry was sent to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, proceeded to join his unit on October 2 and taken on strength on October 4 in the trenches of St Eloi, near Ypres, where the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion suffered many losses due to artillery and enemy snipers then on October 8, were relieved by the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion and marched for Ontario Camp near Reninghelst where they were billeted until October 12 then joined the Zillebeke trenches where they relieved the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion and reinforced, fortified the trenches and fought bravely in this sector until October 19 and moved back to Ontario Camp and marched through Reninghelst, Godewaersvelde and on October 27, were sent in the Somme at Pont-Remy.
On November 1, 1916, Henry and the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion left Pont-Remy and marched for l'Etoile, near Amiens, the next day then joined Picquigny where they were billeted and followed a period of training until November 5 then the battaillon left Picquigny and arrived the next day on Albert Road where they bivouacked until the end of December but on December 14, Henry fell seriously ill and was evacuated to the 1st Anzac Dressing Station then to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Allonville, Somme,suffering from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis but despite the greatest care he received, Henry's health deteriorated very quickly and died three days later, he was 29 years old.
Today, Henry Bruce Devanny rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Allonville Communal Cemetery, Somme.
Henry, it is in the prime of your life that with courage and determination you answered the call of duty to serve alongside your comrades and your brothers in arms on the battlefields of Belgium and France, in the trenches and the barbed wire fields of the Somme on which so many lives, dreams and hopes were shattered in turmoil, in the hell of a world gone mad that sent so many young boys to their fates through storms of steel which fell on their shoulders and which, under the bite of the shells and shrapnels were broken and forever changed by the physical and psychological scars with which they had to live but despite this endless nightmare that was their war, they stood with conviction and bravery in the mud, in the blood and cold of the trenches alongside their best friends, they stood united and strong in the face of inhumanity and death that roamed and rained all around them , they fought with fear in their stomachs but never gave up, despite the howl of shells and the shrill and deadly whistle of bullets they held their positions with their heads held high under their slouch hat and steel helmet, the Diggers showed courage and determination , the spirit of solidarity of all Australia whose sons and daughters did and gave so much for France and who for four years fought with exceptional dedication in the fields of the Somme which were once peaceful and silent and became putrid quagmires, fields of death on which flowed the blood and tears of a whole generation of heroes who gave their today far from home and who, through the attacks on no man's land, sacrificed their youth by facing the fire of the machine guns under which they fell in silent waves, their eyes turned to the sky, motionless through the poppies, their lives were taken too soon. On the battlefields, many of them were cut down by bullets, disease and the horrible conditions in which they lived and fought but each of them did their duty to the end, they served together for the peace and freedom in which we live and for which they fell and found in the fields of France, in the Somme, the silence of their last resting places where they stand and walk silently and where their names and their memories will live forever.Gone but not and never forgotten, I would always stand before them with respect in remembrance, so that their names and faces, their courage remain in the light and their sacrifices never be forgotten.In the fields of the Somme, these young boys, my boys of the Somme and the spirit of ANZAC, the courage of Australia, will live forever on these sacred lands and in our hearts. Thank you so much Henry,for everything. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
Inscription
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Gravesite Details
4779
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