Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

# 1721  NASH Isaac Thomas Lawson                         2nd Light Horse Regiment
 
Isaac Nash was born on the Logan River district on 1st September 1894. He was one of eight children. The family moved to the Yarraman district prior to Isaac’s enlistment.
 
Isaac enlisted in the AIF on 11th August 1915. He stated his age as 20 years and 11 months and gave his occupation as labourer although he may have been employed in the timber industry as was at least one of his brothers. Isaac was accepted as a reinforcement for the 2nd Light Horse Regiment and began his training at Chermside on Brisbane’s northern outskirts before taking a train to Sydney. On 4th October 1915, Isaac as part of the 11th reinforcements for the 2nd Light Horse embarked on the “Mashobra” to sail to Egypt.
 
Isaac’s file is incomplete from the time of his embarkation, possibly due to parts being removed due to sensitivities surrounding his death.
 
The Light Horse had experienced constant service on Gallipoli from May until December 1915. When the “Mashobra” arrived at Suez and the reinforcements disembarked, the Light Horse was already evacuating from Anzac and there was no need for reinforcements. Instead, the reinforcements probably went into one of a number of camps and reserve squadrons dotted along the Suez Canal while decisions were made about how to utilize the large number of infantry and light horse reinforcements then in Egypt. Probably at this time, Isaac was promoted to corporal. At some point, Isaac was drafted into the 2nd Light Horse;     camped at Minya on the west bank of the Nile River south of Cairo. To the west of Minya there was an irrigation canal. The 2nd LHR had the task of patrolling the desert on the other side of the canal as local tribesmen were a constant irritation to the authorities.
 
On 3rd March, a patrol of four men, none of whom were Isaac Nash, lead their horses across a narrow bridge (probably a pontoon bridge) across the canal when Trooper Leatch fell into the canal and was accidentally drowned. On the 4th March, a full board of inquiry heard from many witnesses gathering evidence into the circumstances. On the 5th March, Trooper Isaac Nash died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The two incidents may not be related but it does raise the possibility that Isaac was in some way affected by Leatch’s death. No doubt a full enquiry was also initiated into Isaac Nash’s death but those records are not contained in his file. Isaac was buried at a small British cemetery near Minya.
 
The death of Isaac to suicide was not doubt a source of great shame to the Nash family. His parents provided no details to the authorities in regard to their son. His father did not complete a Roll of Honour Card or give details to the Imperial War Graves Commission for inclusion in the cemetery records. When Isaac’s remains were reinterred in the Cairo War Cemetery, the cemetery register lists only his name, rank, unit and date of death. The Nash family moved to Cooyar in 1921.