Tracing AIF Lewis Neale, born 1890 in Raleigh NSW

Question

I am trying to find out if Pte Lewis Neale, born approx 1890 and served in AIF 25 Battalion has any ancestors???  He had a brother Joseph, who was also in the AIF.  His next of kin (friend) was Edith Olive in 1916 when he left Australia with the 15th reinforcement and ended up in France.  He was awarded a medal for helping the wounded and then he himself, was wounded and sent to England for treatment.  He returned to Australia in 1919.

Answer 1

I think this newspaper article might refer to the family.  In the BMD for Queensland index, there is a Joseph Neale who is the son of James Neale and Julia Birne.

The other children are all in the NSW index (Lewis as Louis which could be a mistake on the part of the registrar).  There is a discrepancy between where Lewis was born according to the article, and what is on his army papers, but since he moved when he was quite young, that could explain the confusion.

There is a marriage record for James Neale and Julia Birne, in England on 27 February 1886 at St Mary Stratford Bow, Middlesex.  Joseph was aged 22, a Commercial Clerk, and his father is James Neale, a Tailor (?), and Julia is aged 20, and her father is Joseph Birne (a cutter?) the end of the certificate is hard to read.  This comes from Ancestry.com.  If this is the same couple, they must have emigrated soon after their marriage, maybe to Queensland?

It might be worth checking the Trove Newspaper database to see if you can find out what happened to the family.  Maybe they were split up and that's why Lewis lost contact with this family?

 

Answer 2

Having trouble finding Lewis Neale spelling, but found many named Louis O'Neill.

Louis O'Neill

Father

Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981

spouse: Annie Joyce

child: Louis Harry O'Neill

 

Louis O'Neill

Father

Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981

spouse: Annie Joyce

child: John Francis O'Neill

 

Louis Terence O'Neill

Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960

burial: 26 December 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

 

Louis Terence O'Neill

Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960

burial: 26 December 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;Camden

 

Louis (Terence) O'Neill

Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960

burial: 26 December 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;Camden Catholic

 

Louis Terence O'Neill

Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960

burial: 26 December 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;Camden

 

Louis Terence O'Neill

Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960

burial: 26 December 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

 

Louis Terence O'Neill

Find A Grave Index

death: 1949

burial: 1949 Camden, , New South Wales, Australia

 

Louis O'Neill

Find A Grave Index

death: 26 December 1949

burial: 1949 Camden, , New South Wales, Australia

Answer 3

Hi

I believe that the person that you may be looking for is a Lewis (Bluey) Neale, born Raleigh New South Wales on 27 November 1890 and died in Sydney New South Wales, on 12 October 1925

He is buried in the Woronora General Cemetery and Crematorium NSW Plot. Ang. Monumental, Sect. 2A - 0590

As of 18 February 1916 his next of kin was recorded as a friend by the name of Edith Dorris Olive

Don’t know when this action actually took place but he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the following

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as a stretcher bearer. A shell burst in a machine gun position causing several casualties and setting fire to the ammunition. He at once went to the spot, extinguished the fire, and attended to the wounded. Through the attack he attended to the wounded continuously for twenty-four hours under shell fire, setting a fine example to all

He was discharged on the 23 April 1918 with a fortnightly pension of £2/5/- or in todays currency AU$4.50

The following on page 18 of the following link https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7993067

Gives details of a letter, dated 25 September 1918, from a Joseph Neale trying to locate his brother Lewis  

You may also like to check the following https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/317168

Hope this information may be of help

Ross Geissmann, Queensland, Australia