FITZPATRICK, David John

David Fitzpatrick was the son of Bartholomew Fitzpatrick and his wife and Mary Anne, nee O'Brien. At the time he enlisted, on 6 June, 1918, he was twenty three years and eleven months old, single and working as a train examiner, an occupation he remained at for most of his life. He had some previous military service, having served in the 55th Infantry at Collingwood. It is not clear where he was living: his parents were at 2 Rotherwood St., Richmond, a ten minute walk from his postal address, the East Melbourne Post Office, then in George Street. He may have been living at home, but arranged a mailing address exclusively for his enlistment papers, or perhaps he was in a boarding house somewhere in East Melbourne, btu desired greater privacy for his mail. 

Given his experience with the railways, it is no surprise that David Fitzpatrick was sent for training at Broadmeadows with the Recruit Depot Battalion, Railway Unit on 11 June, 1918. From here, he embarked for England on HMAT Barambah A37 on 31 August.  On 31 August, while still on board the Barambah, he was diagnosed with gonorrrhea and placed in the ship's hospital until 1 September. He may have gone on to another hospitla on landing, btu if so, it is not mentioned on his record. The next entry relates to marching in to camp at Park House on 15 November, 1918. With the war over on 11 November, he remained in camp in Engalnd until he was returend to Australia on the HT Suevic, leaving England on 23 July, 1919, arrivng in Melbourne on 10  September. 

In 1919, he was living at the Victoria Hotel in Dimboola, working once again as a train examiner. In 1924, he had moved to Seymour. He also married in 1924, to Evangeline Lucy Sheldon, known as Eva. he was then aged thirty. In 1931, they moved to their permanent home at 12 Gezira Street, Pascoe Vale, Victoria. Eva and David had two children, Lionel John, born 1928 and Henrietta Joan, born in 1929. By 1954, however, Eva had moved from Gezira Rd., and was living by herself at 27 Heather Grove, Kew. David Fitzpatrick remined at 12 Gezira Street until at least 1977, still working as a railway employee. He died in  November, 1978, at Coburg  and was cremated at Fawkner Cemetery on 13 November, 1978.