John Herbert HYLAND

Year of Birth: 1929

Place of Birth: Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia

Date of Enlistment: 12 March 1947

Australian Defence Force: Royal Australian Navy

Ship: HMAS Warrnambool

Rank: Able Seaman

Service Number: 28583

Died: 13 September 1947

Age: 18 years 

Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot B – Row A – Grave 4

“Loved Son Of Mr. & Mrs. H. Hyland Of Wynyard, Tasmania. At Rest”

John was born 12 March 1929 in Latrobe, Tasmania, to Herbert Harold and Dorothy May (Galty) Hyland.

He enlisted in Melbourne and gave his father Herbert Harold as his next of kin; his occupation a mill worker.  His height was 5 feet 7½ inches, with light brown hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. 

Able Seaman John Hyland served on HMAS Warrnambool that was engaged in a bomb and mine clearance north of Cairns.  It struck a mine and John was killed along with a shipmate, Stoker Garrett.

John Herbert Hyland’s name is located at panel 1 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.

Online Resources

NAA: A6770, (HYLAND John Herbert) National Archives of Australia

Australian War Memorial

National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers

Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriage

If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. RAY HYLAND

    A cousin saw John’s grave in Cairns recently and sent photo with caption – surely must be related!
    Our family tree has been done but I couldn’t find John or his parents. So to Wynyard FB page and 2 people replied saying this mothers were sisters to John! Contacted one I knew and apparently the parents came here from St Mary’s, on the East Coast. Harold had a fishing boat that bought the family to Wynyard.
    Sorry I don’t have any photos to share.

  2. B. Howis

    I spoke with Trevor Duniam, Wynyard RSL. Apparently there was a photo of John Hyland, kept by his brother Des, when Des was alive and resident at Yarrandoo Aged Care home in Somerset. Trevor believes the photo may be in the posession of Des’ sister (in Wynyard?) , but I don’t know her name or contact details.

  3. Paul Stott

    Family history and funeral service of Francis Arthur Hyland died of wounds in Vietnam 1 Dec 1967 would be appreciated.

    1. Melanie Dunstan

      Hi Paul We dont hold these records.

Leave a Reply