John Ryan (Australian soldier)

For other people named John Ryan, see John Ryan (disambiguation).

John Ryan
Private Edward John Francis Ryan VC c. 1919
Birth name	Edward John Francis Ryan
Born	(1890-02-09)9 February 1890 Tumut, New South Wales
Died	3 June 1941(1941-06-03) (aged 51) Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1915–20
Rank	Private
Unit	55th Battalion
Battles / wars	First World War Hindenburg Defences
Awards	Victoria Cross

Edward John Francis Ryan, VC (9 February 1890 – 3 June 1941), better known as John Ryan, was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was approximately 28 years old, and a private in the 55th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 30 September 1918 at the Hindenburg Defences, France, when the enemy succeeded in establishing a bombing party in the rear of the battalion's recently won position, Private Ryan, on his own initiative, organized and led a party of men with bombs and bayonets against the enemy. He reached the position with only three men and they succeeded in driving the enemy back. Private Ryan cleared the last of them alone, finally falling wounded himself.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial (Canberra, Australia).

External links

• G. P. Walsh, 'Ryan, Edward John Francis (1890–1941)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, Melbourne University Press, 1988, pp 492–493.