Mjr Hugh Quinn 15 Bn AIF

Major Hugh QUINN
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QUINN
Major Hugh (Mentioned in Despatches)

Officer Commanding C Company,
15th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force

Born 6th May 1888 at Rutherford Street, Charters Towers, Queensland

Educated: Central State School and Millchester State School, Charters Towers, and The Southport Church of England Grammar School for Boys ('Dixon's'), Queensland

Single; Public Accountant and Local Authorities Auditor, Sharebroker and Auctioneer, of Charters Towers and Townsville, Queensland.

Next of Kin listed as:Mother; Mary Jane Quinn (nee Irwin), of Gladstone Hotel, Charters Towers, Queensland [Father; the late John Quinn]

Photos of Major Quinn are known to exist in the following locations:
AWM H17420. Group photo Chataway p18 (facing). Group Photo Army Journal No. 270 (November 1971) p30. Brisbane Courier 2 Aug 1915


Killed in Action
29th May 1915
at Quinn's Post
Aged 27







15th Battalion, AIF


Grave:
Shrapnel Valley cemetery


Epitaph:

Some Time, Some Day I Trust
To See The Dear Face
I Hold To Memory

Notes:

Previously C Company, Kennedy Regiment. Enlisted as a Private, rose through the ranks to Acting Quartermaster Sergeant. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 6 April 1908, Lieutenant, 25th September 1911, and Captain (Officer Commanding), 9th July 1912. Northern Queensland Light heavyweight champion boxer.

Embarked at Townsville / Cairns for Thursday Island on 8th August 1914 with the Kennedy Regiment. Volunteered for, and appointed captain and adjutant in, the 2nd Infantry Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. Embarked for New Guinea aboard the Kanowna on 16th August 1914, and for Rabaul, New Britain, but the ship returned to Townsville due to trouble aboard with the firemen (ship's boiler stokers) refusing to take the ship out of Australian waters. On 18th September 1914 the battalion was disbanded on disembarkation, and Quinn joined the AIF as a captain (28th September 1914).

Promoted to Major, 1st May 1915.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists Next Of Kin address as: 14 Robert Street, Spring Hill, Brisbane. (Mother moved to this address, probably in early - mid 1916. Had previously stated address as Care of A. Irwin [her own maiden name], Charters Towers). In 1920 address was given as 'Taunton', Jane Street, West End, Brisbane, Qld.

Father, John Quinn, a Mounted Police officer, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and immigrated in 1881; died 3rd May 1912. Mother was born in New South Wales.

Quinn's Post, possibly the most dangerous and nerve-wracking position ever held by Australian soldiers - in any war - was named after this officer. Bean states that: 'Men passing the fork of Monash Valley, and seeing and hearing the bombs bursting up at Quinn's, used to glance at the place (as one of them said) 'as a man looks at a haunted house' '. (Bean V2 p91).

A party of Turks broke into No. 3 Subsection of Quinn's Post on 29th May, after having fired, at 3.20 a.m., a large mine which killed most of the Australians there. From this section they began to penetrate through the post, but were pushed back and confined to a part of this same section. Cut off from retreat or reinforcement, the surrender of these soldiers must have been only a matter of time, but Major Quinn was ordered to attack over the exposed crest and re-take the trenches 'at all costs'. This would mean the almost certain annihilation of most of the attacking party:

'Quinn twice placed his whistle between his teeth as if to give the signal, but removed it again, deciding to go to the front line and reconnoitre it for himself before he ordered his men to charge. Taking McSharry, he walked straight up the main communication trench to the heart of No. 3, and was turning into the front line when a shot came along it from behind, and he fell back dead, almost into McSharry's arms.' (Bean V1 p579-81, 598; V2 p90, 94, 95, 97, 215, killed 219 quoted)


'Colonel Chauvel had arrived upon the scene during the fighting and he gave the order for the front line to be manned once again. Major Quinn was given the command of the charge, but Quinn was in a very argumentative mood and though two companies to be used in the charge were ready to start, [Quinn's own 'C' Company, and a company of the 13th Battalion] he refused to give the order. Finally McSharry, who had borne most of the responsibility throughout the whole affair, and to whom the most credit is due, took Quinn with him up the sap to show that officer just what was intended. At the junction of the sap and front line, Quinn was killed with a bullet in the brain. Major Hugh Quinn was twenty-seven years old at the time of his death. He was born in Charters Towers, North Queensland, and practised his profession in Townsville. In the north he was well known as an amateur heavyweight boxer. He had commanded 'C' Company from its inception and was the first company commander in the battalion to be killed in action. Quinn's Post, which bears his name, is now part of Australian history, allied for all time with the name of Anzac.' (Chataway p59).

On the 21st September 1915, in Charters Towers, Queensland:
'At the Town Hall today, at the request of the mayor, Councillor J. Millican and Mr Pritchard performed the ceremony of unveiling the photos of Captain S.W. Harry and Major Quinn, who were killed at the Dardanelles. Captain Harry was town clerk, while Major Quinn was a native of Charters Towers. A touching speech was made by the mayor regarding the good qualities of both officers. Captain Harry's sword was hung under his portrait.' (Brisbane Courier 22 Sept 1915 p7).

Major Quinn, Captain Walsh and Captain Harry, all killed at Gallipoli, were boyhood friends in Charters Towers.



Lest We Forget


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