Richard John Buchanan (SN 733) born in Ballarat, was a 33 year old miner when he enlisted at Ballarat on July 16th 1915. He embarked aboard the Ascanius on November 10th and sailed to Egypt where he was transferred from the 32nd Infantry Battalion to the 29th Battalion. He reached the Western Front in France in July 1916 and while he avoided battle wounds, the elements twice forced him to hospital, with trench feet in 1916 and frost bite in 1917. He returned to Australia aboard the Devanha, disembarked at Melbourne on June 23rd 1919 and was discharged on August 15th.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as John R. Buchanan.