Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Roy William Kirkby (26 June 1895 - unknown) was an Australian soldier who served as a gunner in the 36th Heavy Artillery Group during World War 1. He was born near the town of Gundagai, in the County of Murrumbidgee (1), in the State of New South Wales. His father Thomas Soulby Kirkby (2) and his mother whose name remains unknown, moved to 207 Albany Road, Petersham (3) in Sydney shortly after his birth, which is also where he had spent most of his childhood. Throughout his boyhood he had attended several educational institutions which included The Superior Public School(SPS) - Petersham (4), then was later admitted into Sydney Technical College (5) on the 25th of January 1910. After graduating, Roy William worked as a clerk.

Roy William enlisted in the military on the 26th of February 1917 and he left for war 3 months after. Kirkby was a gunner in the 36th Heavy Artillery Group (6), which meant that his main job was to operate the 8 inch and 9.2 inch Howitzers (7), at the time these were the most powerful heavy artillery weapons. But being a gunner did not come without risk, operating such a large gun made the unit a prime target for counter-battery fire from the German forces.

The battle of Cambrai (8) was the only battle that Kirkby was known to have taken part of. This particular battle was located in the town of Cambrai, France, it was an important supply centre for the German Siegfriedstellung (known to the British as the Hindenburg Line) (9) and capture of the town and the nearby Bourlon Ridge would threaten the rear of the German line to the north.

Roy William was injured during this battle and as a result he went A.W.O.L. Soon after this, Roy William was apprehended by the military police for an illegal absence (10). He was admitted into the hospital where he was declared unfit for service and returned to Australia. He was tried in court, pleaded guilty then detained for a sentence of 120 days in detention (11).

Roy William Kirkby survived the war, he was released back into society after he had served his 120 days in detention. By then his injury had fully healed and he resumed his clerical work. Unfortunately, there is limited information about his life after the war. There are no records of marriage or any birth certificates of possible children, and his date of death remains unknown. 

References

National Archives of Australia
1. Ibid
2. Ibid
3. Virtual War Memorial Australia, Kirkby Roy William
4. Ibid
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. Britannica Battle of Cambrai 1917
8. Ibid
9. National Archives of Australia
10. Ibid

Bibliography

- https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/270
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Cambrai-1917
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51109
- https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/147870

Haydn Ying - Sydney Technical High School - 2024

Lest we forget

KIRBY, Roy William was born on June 26, 1895, in the County of Murrumbidgee, New South Wales, close to the town of Gundagai. His mother's name is unknown, but his father was Thomas Soulby Kirkby. Roy relocated to Sydney shortly after his birth, settling into a home at 207 Albany Road, Petersham, in the Marrickville area.

Roy started his schooling at Cleveland Street Superior Public School. He was accepted to Sydney Technical High School on January 25, 1910, and he attended there till he graduated. After he graduated he got a job as a Clerk before enlisting in the army. Roy had a preliminary medical check in February 1915, and later enlisted for the army on February 26, 1917. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at the age of 21, being assigned service number 969. He was a Gunner and sent to the 12th Reinforcements, 36th Heavy Artillery Group.

He left Sydney on the transport ship HMAT Port Sydney on May 9, 1917, to join the battle on the Western Front in Europe. As a Gunner, Roy handled a 8-inch and 9.2-inch howitzer. He was at the centre of some of the war's most important engagements because he had to work with massive heavy artillery pieces, which were deployed for long-range bombardments against opposing positions. He participated in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. He sustained injuries during the battle, the type of injuries is not clear from the documents.

Roy was declared an illegal absentee on December 14, 1918. He was absent from London until March 6, 1919, when he was either captured or turned himself in to military authorities. On March 13, 1919, a court martial was held in London. He was sentenced to 120 days in military jail after being found guilty of missing work without permission. 

Roy's service in the First World War ended on July 23, 1919, after leaving England.