Herb Byrne

Herb Byrne
Born(1887-10-28)28 October 1887
Richmond, Victoria
Died3 August 1959(1959-08-03) (aged 71)
Kew, Victoria
AllegianceAustralia
Branch
Australian Imperial Force
Citizen Military Forces
Service years
1912–1927
1940–1944
Rank
Lieutenant Colonel
Commands14th Field Regiment
Conflicts
First World War
Second World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
Australian rules football career
Personal information
Original team Xavier College
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1907 Fitzroy 2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1907.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Herbert Richard Byrne, DSO, VD (28 October 1887 – 3 August 1959) was an Australian military officer and an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

Family

The son of Richard Byrne (1860–1908) and Olivia Gertrude Byrne, née Keenan (1864–1931), Herbert Richard Byrne was born at Richmond in Victoria on 28 October 1887.

Football

Having come to attention while playing for Xavier College, Byrne made two senior appearances for Fitzroy in the 1907 VFL season.

Military service

Byrne had a long and distinguished career in the Australian Military Forces.

After enlisting to serve in the First World War, Byrne served on the Gallipoli peninsula and in Egypt as an officer. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in October 1917 for saving his men from a shell burst and then rescuing eight of those injured near Ypres in Belgium. Six days later, despite being wounded, he stayed with his men for two days before being ordered to leave to receive medical attention. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice.[2]

After the war Byrne continued to serve as a part-time commissioned officer and was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration for his long and meritorious service.

Byrne enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force while in Sydney in 1940, and served for a further four years from January 1940 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  2. ↑ Cullen, Barbara (2015). Harder than football : league players at war. Richmond, Victoria: Slattery Media Group. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-992379-14-8.
  3. ↑ "World War II Roll: BYRNE, Herbert Richard". Department of Veterans Affairs.
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