Dineen, Joseph James

29950 Driver Joseph James Dineen - 14th Field Artillery Brigade

Joseph James Dineen was born in New South Wales on the 3rd June 1888 to John and Emily Dineen. He had three siblings with Leo born in 1880, Arthur 1882 and Patrick 1884. The family moved to WA while he was still young and took up residence in Nannine WA.

In 1907 in Fremantle he married Lavinia Doherty and a daughter called Edna was born in North Fremantle in 1908 and a son called John was born in Kalgoorlie in 1912.

Joseph worked for the Post Office and after a stint in the Goldfields returned to work in Fremantle in 1910. They were living in Victoria Road North Fremantle at the Police Station Annexe as Lavinia's father was the Officer in charge North Fremantle Police Station. (now 211-217 Queen Victoria Street).

On the 28th February 1916 Joseph enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment with the medical officer recording is physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 inches tall;

Weight - 175lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

hair - Dark.

Upon his successful enlistment Joseph was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He had a few weeks in the training depot then on the 17th April 1916 he was assigned to the 20th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He spent several weeks training with this group in WA but then in June 1916 took a transfer to the Field Artillery.

As the Field Artillery main training base was in Victoria, Joseph was sent east to continue his training at Maribyrnong Camp. From June to September 1916 Joseph was training here and on the 13th September 1916 he was assigned to the 120th Howitzer Battery.

This group departed from Port Melbourne on the transport ship HMAT Aeneas on the 2nd October 1916 and after the long sea journey arrived at Plymouth England on the 19th November 1916.

After arriving in England the men were disembarked and sent to the artillery base on Salisbury Plains. Not long after arrival Joseph was sent to Fargo Military Hospital with pneumonia and was listed as seriously ill. He was in hospital from December 1916 to February 1917. This delayed his departure to France till the 26th March 1917.

On arrival in France he was posted to the 114th Battery of the 14th Field Artillery Brigade. The 14th FAB was part of the supporting artillery for the 5th Division AIF When he joined them the 14th FAB were providing artillery support for the infantry operations around the Hindenburg Line.

Joseph had only been with them a few weeks when he was evacuated sick with rheumatism but was only away till the 11th May 1917.

He then served through the rest of 1917 with the 14th FAB. From July 1917 onwards, Joseph and the 14th FAB were situated in Belgium providing fire support during the Third Battle of Ypres. Many of the artillery batteries positions were under fire from the Germans but fortunately joseph came through 1917 unscathed.

From December 1917 to March 1918 the 14th Field Artillery Brigade remained in Belgium. In January 1918 Joe was evacuated sick but fortunately it was a mild illness and hew as back with his unit early in February 1918. A few weeks later, on the 16th March 1918 he was granted a two week furlough to England.

During his absence the Germans had launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British lines further south. As a result the Australian Divisions were sent south to help stop this Germans advance.

So when Joe returned to France it took him a few days to locate his unit. He was finally taken back on strength on the 4th April 1918. The Brigade was then at Orville France but were soon on the move again. Within a few days they were supporting Australian and British troops around Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel.

On the 27th April 1918 Joe was wounded as the Germans launched shells at his artillery battery. Fortunately it was only a slight wound and he remained on duty.

Joe remained with the 14th FAB over the next few months, including the August 8th advance which broke through the Germans lines. The line was constantly advancing which meant that the artillery were always on the move to catch up to the infantry. Joe saw action up to Peronne and Mont St Quentin and then up to the Hindenburg Line. While the Australian infantry were withdrawn from the front by the first week of October 1918, the Australian Artillery were engaged till up to the Armistice.

On the 18th November 1918 Joe was promoted to Temporary Bombardier.

After the Armistice was signed the Germans withdrew to their own borders and the Australians were sent to what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. Joe got into trouble in January 1919 for going absent without leave for a day but was only fined one days pay and was reprimanded by his CO.

On the 7th February 1919 he was sent to England on two weeks leave and then returned to France on the 25th February 1919. Joe then spent the next five weeks with his unit in France but on the 9th April 1919 was sent to England to await his return home.

He spent the next six weeks in the AIF Camps in the UK but on the 1st June 1919 boarded the transport ship Somali and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.

Joe was discharged from the AIF on the 15th August 1919.

During the war, Joe's brother Leo died in France on the 24th April 1918 at Dernancourt while serving with the 28th Battalion.

After the war Joe and his family spent a year in North Fremantle but then oved to Leederville. He worked for the Post Office and was a Civil Servant for the next thirty years. During the 1920's Joe played football in the WAFL for West Perth and was later made a life member of the club

The family lived at Leederville through to the 1960's. Joe had retired from the Post office in 1953.

Joseph died on the 20th October 1966 aged 78. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Lawn 4 0114.