SHERRY Denis Edward 12
(aka: ARTHUR EDWARD or EDWARD ARTHUR).
12, Private, 11th Machine Gun Company, AIF / 32nd Battalion as part of the 5th Division.
b. Abt. 1900 Casino, NSW.
Enlisted: 09.05.1917 Lismore, NSW.
d. 1952.
Next of Kin: Alice Sherry (Mother).
Denis' birth was registered in the Murwillumbah registration district of New South Wales in 1900. He married Margaret Corcoran on 19th February 1923 in Queensland.
In 1930 Denis and Margaret were living at Main Arm, New South Wales as were Denis' brothers Francis and John Sherry where they were working as farmers.
By 1943 Denis and Margaret had moved to Stuart St Mullimbimby where Denis was working as a labourer. However by 1949 Denis and Margaret had moved again and were now living at 10 Walker Street in Arncliffe where Denis was employed as a carpenter.
Denis Sherry joined the army as Edward Arthur Sherry aged 21 years and 3 months. He later amended his name to Denis Edward Sherry. His overseas service amounted to three weeks in France from 9th October 1916 to 1st November 1916.
The war changed much in the lives of those who took part. The post-war years brought with them the decision to move to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where Denis and Margaret set up home at Maroochydore.
He passed away in 1952, and was buried in the Military Section of Woombye Cemetery. His wife, Margaret, continued to live for some time at Anzac Ave Maroochydore.
“The AIF Machine Gun Companies were formed in February 1916 from the four battalion machine gun sections in each brigade. Each was equipped with 16 Vickers Machine Guns. They bore the same numbers as the brigades of which they were part, and usually had the state affiliation. In 1917 divisional machine gun companies were formed, numbered 21 to 25, where the last digit was the same as the parent division. The four companies in each division were consolidated into machine gun battalions in March 1918.”
With thanks to Ross Mallett: Great War Forum on the Internet.
Source: National Archives of Australia; Great War Forum; Source: NSW Electoral Rolls, Qld Electoral Rolls.
From the Genealogy Sunshine Coast publication
"AND THEIR NAMES SHALL LIVE FOREVER..."
REMEMBERING MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE OLD MAROOCHY SHIRE CEMETERIES – BOOK 1, WOOMBYE
Denis is not included in the Adopt a Digger database as he falls outside our criteria of living in the district before 1925. He is included in this gallery as he has lived in the district later in his life and is buried in a Sunshine Coast cemetery. Importantly, as a WW1 digger he still deserves to be recognised and commemorated by our project.