Devenish, Sydney Milton
No.7579 – Private Sydney Milton Devenish – 11th Battalion AIF
Sidney Milton Devenish was born in Perth WA in 1887 to Ralph and Anne Devenish, he was one of 7 children with three dying in infancy. He was educated at school in Perth and after leaving took up work as a Carter and Horse Driver. In 1912 he married Matilda Durnin and initially they took up residence in Cottesloe but soon moved to 131 Forrest Street Fremantle, later moving to 147 Forrest. They would go on to have four children; Olive May born in 1913; Harold born in 1915 and twins Sydney Borda & Flora in 1917. Tragically Sydney would never see the twins as they were born after his departure for war.
In 1916 Sydney attempted to enlist but was rejected on medical grounds due to cardiac trouble. However with reinforcements drying up, many men were allowed to enlist that had medical problems that would have seen them previously rejected. On the 7th February 1917 Sydney attempted to enlist for the second time and was successful. The medical officer found him to be 5 feet 3 inches in height; weight of 139 lbs; chest measurement of 35-38 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Congregational. After spending a month in the training depot, Sydney was assigned to the 25th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA until the end of June 1916. On the 29th June Sydney and his reinforcement group boarded their transport ship H.M.A.T. “Borda” in Fremantle Harbour and made their way to England, arriving at Plymouth on the 25th August 1917.
After arriving in Plymouth the men were disembarked and sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. On the 9th September Sydney was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital with influenza but rejoined the 3rd Training Battalion on the 15th September. On the 7th November 1917 Sydney was sent to the 2nd Training Battalion at Sutton Veny Camp and continued training here for the next few months.
On the 9th February 1918 Sydney suddenly died in camp with the 2nd Training Battalion. The AAMC Captain at the Training Battalion wrote about Sydney that; “This man was paraded sick at 1.30pm on 8.2.18 with “C” Company. He had a diffuse swelling on the right side of the jaw. This did not extend down to the neck, nor were there any other signs of Oedema found. There was a history of these sudden swellings. A diagnosis of Angio-Neurotic-Oedema was made and Calc. Lact. Gr.xv.4 indie was prescribed and three day’s medicine given to this man; he complained of no pain. I was awakened at 3.25am this morning and told by two men that a man was choking in Hut 15, No.2 Camp. On my arrival there I found that life was extinct but did artificial respiration for a few minutes proving that there was a block in the lower respiratory passages somewhere, as air was difficult to force out of the chest. The man was cyanosed and there was a diffuse swelling of the face and neck and in my opinion the cause of death was Oedema of the Glottis due to Angio-Neurotic-Oedema.”
Private Sydney Milton Devinish was buried at the Parish Church at Warminster on the 12th February 1918 with full military honours in a service conducted by a Chaplain Captain Daimper of Heytesbury. Sidney’s wife and children would receive a pension after his death.