Next of Kin Plaque : Private B S Connell, 9 Battalion, AIF

Bronze plaque showing Britannia and a lion with the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. The embossed name 'BEDE SEPTIMUS CONNELL' appears in a rectangle with a raised edge.

3017 Private Bede Septimus Connell was born at St Marys, in western Sydney on 16 December 1887. He was the son of Matthew Joseph and Charlotte (nee Mortimer) Connell. Connell completed his education at Regentville Public School and afterwards was employed as a labourer before enlisting into the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Brisbane, Qld on 25 June 1915.

Connell was allocated to the 10th Reinforcements of the 9th Battalion AIF. After initial training, he left Brisbane aboard A69 HMAT Warilda on 5 October 1915. After arriving in Egypt, Connell was taken on strength by the 9th Battalion, then stationed at Tel-el-Kebir (having just returned from Gallipoli), on 21 January 1916. In March 1916, the 9th Battalion left Egypt bound for the Western Front aboard the Saxonia arriving in Marseilles, France on 3 April 1916. On 5 May 1916, while the battalion was at Sailly, Connell was charged with the crime of 'without urgent necessity, quitting the ranks' and was awarded 72 hours Field Punishment No 2. On 9 June 1916 and 2 July 1916, he failed to report for parade. On the first occasion he was awarded the loss of one day's pay and on the second offence was awarded 24 hours Field Punishment No 2.

The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres when the 9th Battalion attacked on the extreme right of the line. During this action, Connell suffered a grenade wound to the left arm on 23 July 1916. He was admitted to No 1 Australian General Hospital at Rouen on 26 July 1916 and then transferred to England aboard the hospital ship HS Salta on the same day. He was transfered to hospital in England a few days later.

After about a year of recovery and training in England, including several more minor disciplinary incidents, Connell returned to France on 23 July 1917. He rejoined his unit a few weeks later at the Belgian front, opposite the Hindenburg Line. Connell was killed on 20 September 1917, possibly at Chateau Wood (near Menin Road) in the Ypres area when the 9th Battalion lost all of its company commanders and half its junior officers. Having no known grave, Private Connell is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ieper (formerly known as Ypres).