Obituaries Australia

Eric Connelly, 1914

National Archives of Australia, 14290

A private message received by his relatives in Melbourne on Monday, stated that Major Eric Winfield Connelly, general staff officer, No. 2. on the third divisional staff at Australian headquarters in France, had been killed by a bomb dropped by a German aeroplane. Major Connelly was born in Bendigo 29 years ago. He was a son of the late Mr. T. Jefferson Connelly, founder of the firm of Connelly and Tatchell, solicitors and Mayor of Bendigo in 1885. Before enlisting in 1914, Major Eric Connelly was practising as a barrister at Selborne Chambers, Melbourne. He left Australia as a lieutenant of infantry with the first expeditionary force, and received his first wound on Gallipoli. He was invalided to Australia, but left again for the front as a captain with Brigadier-General W. R. McNicoll, C.M.G., D.S.O. Towards the end of last year he gained the D.S.O. His only brother, Captain Clive Connelly was killed on the Gallipoli peninsula. Major Connelly, married Miss Dorothy McLellan, a daughter of Mr. J. McLellan. of Windsor. She left Australia recently to join her husband and was expected to arrive at Vancouver on Monday. She was travelling in the company of Mrs. Jess, wife of Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Jess. D.S.O., of the A.I.F.