DAFFON Richard Henry

Additional information on the memorial: Australian Infantry. Killed in action 15 November 1916. Age 28.

Richard Daffon entered Old Swinford Hospital on 18th December 1894 and he left the school on 12th March 1902 when he was apprenticed to F.R. Harcourt, Hairdresser of Netherton.

Richard Daffon enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 12th July 1915 at Liverpool, New South Wales. On his attestation paper he gave his place of birth as Birmingham, his age as 28 years 9 months and his occupation as a hairdresser. He was single and his next of kin was named as his brother George Herbert Daffon, Blackheath, Birmingham, England. Richard was 5 feet 3 8/16th inches tall with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He embarked to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli on 4th November 1915 joining his unit on 11th November. After a one night stay in hospital at Mudros due to Gastritis, he disembarked at Alexandria on 9th January 1916. On 7th February 1916 he was admitted to hospital at Tel-el-Kebir with dysentery, an illness that was to plague him on and off until the end of April 1916. On 5th April 1916 he transferred to the Camel Corps and in June he was admitted to hospital in Greece due to bunions. He was sent to England where he embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force on 22nd September 1916, first at Etaples, then Belgium, before returning to France. Richard was killed in action on 15th November 1916.

Australian Service Records Reference: Barcode 3482044 Series Accession No B2455 Location: Canberra
Accessed via:  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/

County Express, 30th December 1916:
Mr G.H. Daffon of 31 Holt Road, Blackheath, has received tidings that his brother, Pte. R.H. Daffon, of the Australian Imperial Forces, was killed in action in November. Pte. Daffon was very much respected by all who knew him in the old country. Before going to Australia he carried on a hairdresser’s business in Brierley Hill. He saw service in the Gallipoli Peninsula and also in Egypt before coming to France. Writing to Mr Daffon, his brother’s officer states that he was killed in action. He sends the deepest sympathies of the officers, N.C.O.’s and men, and adds: “He was one of our bravest soldiers, and his comrades speak very well of him.”