Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

04/04/1916

Date of Discharge

10/10/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

07/07/1896

Place of Birth

Braidwood NSW

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Occupation

Soldier

Next of Kin

Francis and Catherine Neylan (parents), Micalong via Tumut NSW

Final Rank

Major (temporary)

Final Unit

8 Field Artillery Brigade, 3 Division Artillery AIF

Military Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 219, 20 December 1917)

Neylan entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 12 March 1914 with the fourth intake of cadets and graduated early, along with his class, on 3 April 1916. He was appointed as a Lieutenant with the 27th Battery, 7th Field Artillery Brigade and arrived in England in July 1916. After further training Neylan's unit were sent to France in January 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross in August that year when "with great gallantry, and at considerable personal risk, he twice extinguished fires which had been caused in his ammunition dumps by enemy shell fire, saving guns and material from damage, and showing a fine example under very trying circumstances. He afterwards established a forward observation post 800 yards in front of our new line, from which he transmitted useful information at great personal risk."

He was promoted to Captain shortly afterwards and served with various artillery and mortar batteries until being appointed as a temporary Major in command of the 30th Battery, 8th Field Artillery Brigade in October 1918. In 1925 he married Susie Arnott in Sydney and served as a Brigadier in the 1st Army Headquarters during World War 2 from 26 March 1940 to 7 July 1947 (service number NX12276). Neylan died on 17 January 1967 in Sydney NSW.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Queanbeyan Age - 18 September 1917
Monaro Pioneers Index WW1 - www.monaropioneers.com/1st_aif_participants.htm
AWM collection record : H06222