Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ronald Mumford was born on the 5th May 1890 and enlisted in the AIF on the 4th June 1915 and was operating as a driver with the 5th Reinforcements 17th Army Service Corps.
Eventually joining the 56th Battalion and transferred overseas to Tel el Kabir on the 15th March 1916 and Alexandrina on the 18th June 1916 before arriving in France on 27th June 1916.
He had an interesting career having been demoted from Corporal to Private for being Absent without leave for 2 days( losing pay and rank) and then reassigned as Corporal at one stage.
He arrived in France on the 27th June 1916 . His Battalion took part in the battle of Fromelle on 19th-20th July 1916 and he was later transferred back to England on or abouts the 19th August 1916 and went to Bulford Hospital for 68 days with illness ( Venerial disease)
On the 13th March 1917 he returned to France He went AWOL on 28th June 1917.
He was sick and returned to England around August 1917 but returned to Active service in France with the 1st Tunnelers ( he was a driver so probably carried materials for them..Much of this material came from Ypres and the destroyed Cloth Hall and Cathedral.) Many of the 56th Battalion were assigned to the Tunneling duties.
They also rebuilt roads. He worked with them from 16th September when he returned to his original unit and was involved with his unit in the Battles of Messines Ridge and probably Polygon Wood.
He had shell wounds to the face and knee on or abouts the 26th September and repatriated to Bristol England on the 30th September
He seems to have been in hospital until the 21st January 1918 with severe facial wounds. He was discharged to a Work Depot at Weymouth. He worked there and was married on 14th January 1919 and returned to Australia with his wife and child on the 27th September 1919 on the “Osterley” and
finally discharged on the 12th January 1920