Richard Kelliher VC (1910 - 1963)

Born 1 Sep 1910 in Ballybeggan, County Kerry, Ireland

Died 28 Jan 1963 at age 52 in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Evans [send private message]

Australia's Victoria Cross recipients

Biography

Dick Kelliher VC is Notable.

Richard 'Dick' Kelliher VC was born on 1st September 1910 in Ballybeggan, County Kerry, Ireland; then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was a son of Michael Kelliher and Mary Ann Talbot. He was educated at Jefferson's Institution, Tralee, County Kerry before working as a mechanic in his brother's garage.

Dick Kelliher VC migrated from Ireland to Queensland.

He emigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1929 with his sister Norah. Due to lack of work during the Great Depression Norah moved to Sydney while Dick became a swagman, working a variety of jobs; eventually becoming a labourer in Brisbane, Queensland.

Second World War

Dick Kelliher VC is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1941-1944
2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion

Kelliher enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 21st February 1941, ^[1] and was sent to the Middle East. He was posted to the 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion, 25th Brigade, 7th Division, which was on garrison duty in Syria. The battalion returned to Australia in March 1942 and was sent to Papua, where it took part in the battles on the Owen Stanley Range (Kokoda Track) and at Buna–Gona later that year. In incident occurred near Gorari that resulted in Dick being court martialled once the battalion had returned to Australia, for cowardice in the face of the enemy. His defence, that his platoon commander had sent him back for information, was unable to be proved as his commander had been killed in the battle and there were no witnesses to the order being given. The charge was soon after quashed upon review. He then spent the first half of 1943 in hospital with malaria, before rejoining the 2/25th in Papua. After rejoining his unit in August 1943, Dick stated he would prove he was no coward.

Victoria Cross

On 13th September 1943, during the battle of Lae, the platoon to which Dick was attached came under very heavy fire from a concealed Japanese machine gun, at Heath's Plantation, Nadzab. The machine gun inflicted severe casualties and prevented the platoon's advance. According to the citation Dick, intuitively and on his own initiative, dashed towards the post and hurled two grenades at it, which killed some of the enemy. He returned to his section, seized a Bren gun, dashed back to the enemy post and silenced it. He then asked permission to go out again to rescue his wounded section leader, which he accomplished successfully under heavy fire from another enemy position. For his bravery in the face of the enemy, Private Richard Kelliher was awarded the Victoria Cross. ^[2]

For his war service, Dick was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

Post war

Dick lived in poor health after suffering both typhoid and meningitis before the war and now suffering recurring bouts of malaria. In 1944 he was declared medically unfit for continued active service and was demobilised from the AIF. Dick was re-mobilised in 1946 so that he could participate in the London Victory Parade that year. He was discharged from the Commonwealth Military Force on 13th September 1946. ^[3]

Aged two days short of his thirty-ninth birthday, Dick married nineteen year-old Olive Hearn on 30th August 1949 in Epworth Lodge, Bowen Hills, Queensland, according to Methodist rites. ^[4] The couple had three children:

1. Kerry (1951-)
2. Richard (1954-)
3. Mary Ann (1956-)

After spending some years as a cleaner at Brisbane City Hall Dick and Olive moved his family to Melbourne, Victoria, where Dick got a job as a gardener at Burnley Horticultural School. His home in Burwood was also noted for its beautiful gardens.

In 1953, as a Victoria Cross recipient, Dick was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

By the late 1950s, Dick was completely disabled as a result of his ill health and on 16th January 1963 had a stroke. Twelve days later, still just 52 years of age, he passed away in the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria and was buried in Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Victoria. ^[5]

Richard Kelliher VC medal set

His medals were later put up for sale by his widow and were purchased by his battalion association, who donated them to the Australian War Memorial, where they remain on display.

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: QX20656 Richard Kelliher; accessed 21 May 2019
2. ↑ London Gazette 28 Dec 1943 Supplement: 36305 Page: 5649; accessed 21 May 2019
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: QX500601 Richard Kelliher; accessed 21 May 2019
4. ↑ Genealogy.com Joseph-F-Maher; accessed 21 May 2019
5. ↑ Victoria Death Index #/1963

See also

• Blanch, Craig and Pegram, Aaron. For Valour: Australians awarded the Victoria Cross. New South Publishing, Sydney NSW, 2018. ISBN 978 17422 35424.
• Reid, Richard E. 'Kelliher, Richard (1910–1963)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996; accessed online 21 May 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: Richard Kelliher; accessed 21 May 2019.