2226
KEILY, Robert Roland
| Service Number: | 122 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Morphettville, South Australia, 17 April 1895 |
| Home Town: | Morphettville, Marion, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Mount Eba Station, South Australia , 18 August 1966, aged 71 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Mount Eba Station Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Plympton District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 122, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 122, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 122, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 19 May 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, 122, 27th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Robert Roland Keily's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Robert was the son of Thomas KEILY & Ellen HEATH and was born on the 17th of April 1895 in Morphettville, SA.
His parents had been married on the 23rd of February 1891 at the Residence of his maternal grandparents HEATH, in Wallaroo, SA.
His father was the son of Joseph KEILY & Rose MULLIGAN and was born on the 18th of September 1861 in Melbourne, VIC.
His mother was the daughter of John HEATH & Janet RICHMOND and was born on the 16th of February 1867 in Port Wallaroo, SA.
Robert’s father was a jockey and shortly after Robert’s parents married they moved to Adelaide where his father became a very successful and well known Adelaide horse trainer.
Robert was the 3rd child to be born into this family of 7 children, which consisted of 6 boys and 1 girl and the family lived on Bay Rd, Plympton.
After his schooling he became a labourer and in 1913 joined the 81st Infantry (Wakefield).
He was described as 5 feet, 6 inches in height with a dark complexion, blue/green eyes & brown hair.
At the age of 19 Robert enlisted into the AIF on the 26th of January 1915 in Keswick and was allotted the service number 122.
He listed his mother as his next of kin.
He was appointed to H Company, Base Infantry, based at Oaklands for 6 weeks of initial training before being transferred to the 27th Battalion, A Company.
Robert embarked from Adelaide on board the HMAT A2 Geelong on the 31st of May 1915 for Egypt.
Robert and his Battalion then spent the next few months training in Egypt, for their intended landing at Gallipoli, which was to be on the 12th of September.
However, during this time Robert was hospitalised and was recommended to be returned to Australia as Medically Unfit for Active Service.
He embarked from Suez on board the Wiltshire on the 31st of August, disembarking in Melbourne 4 weeks later.
Robert was discharged on the 19th of May 1916.
His two older brothers also served in WW1 in the 50th Battalion.
Sergeant Herbert KEILY, was killed in action on the 16th of August 1916 at Mouquet Farm in France.
Lance Corporal Thomas Heath KEILY returned to Australia on the 5th of April 1919 after spending over three years overseas.
Robert married Alice Bertha LEHMANN on the 5th of July 1934 in Streaky Bay, SA and within 2 years they had moved to Ral Ral Creek, near Renmark & Robert was a fisherman.
They never had children and Alice died on the 7th of November 1954 in Murtho, SA.
After Alice’s death Robert moved to Mt Eba Station where he died on the 18th of August 1966.
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