Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lieutenant Cyril George Ross MC had served three years with Cadets and one year with the Militia when he enlisted in the AIF on 12 July 1915, and was 2nd Lieutenant attached to 11th Infantry Battalion when he embarked with his Unit from Fremantle for Suez en route for Marseilles on 12 February 1916 on board HMAT A28 Militiades. In August 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant and Battalion Intelligence Officer. On 30 July 1916 Lieutenant Ross' Commanding Officer recommended him for the Military Cross 'for conspicuous gallantry'. The recommendation states that 'During the attack on Pozieres on night of 22/23 July 1916 he led his Platoon with marked ability. In their excitement to close with the enemy many of his men dashed into our Artillery barrage. He followed the men and withdrew them to their proper objective. Later he led a party through a copse and attacked and defeated the enemy who were guarding some guns. During the operations of the 23rd and 25th July 1916, he controlled and led his men with conspicuous gallantry' (AWM; Commonwealth Gazette No103; 29 June 1917). Lieutenant Ross was WiA in France on 16 Spetember 1917, and evacuated to England with a bullet wound to his chest. On 12 March 1918 Lieutenant Ross embarked from England for Perth via Durban on board the Kennilworth Castle, and was attached to 11th Infantry Battalion on 4 June 1918 when his Appointment was Terminated. In WWI he served in the ACMF (Service No:W66928) as a Bombardier with 1 and 2 Battalions VDC from 30 March 1942 to 15 October 1945. His older brother Robert (Private; Service No:3641) enlisted in the AIF in March 1916 but was Discharged within a fortnight at the request of the Munitions Committe, and younger brother Herbert (Lieutenant with 11th Infantry Battalion) died in 1919 as a result of wounds.

Cyril was born in Armidale, New South Wales in 1887, second of four children (sons) of Robert (Rob) Ross (b1857 in Melbourne, Victoria) and Amelia Atwell (b1862 in Hobart, Tasmania). Rob (a House Painter) and Amelia married in 1886 in Melbourne, and lived in Armidale, New South Wales before moving to Western Australia in the late 1890s. Rob and Amelia lived in Denmark before settling in Perth by 1910 - Rob was a House Painter until his death in 1918.

Cyril was a Teacher in Perth, served with the Cadets and Militia, and in 1915 was a Teacher in Goomalling when he enlisted in the AIF. In 1918 in Sydney, New South Wales Cyril married Ethel Victoria Schell (b1891 in Wentworth, New South Wales). Cyril and Ethel settled in Western Australia where Cyril was a Teacher and Head Teacher in Goomalling, Boddington and Perth until retirement. Cyril died in 1957 and Ethel in 1980.