22223
BATH, Lewis James
| Service Number: | 62381 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 July 1918, Adelaide South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, 18 March 1899 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Engine cleaner |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Payneham South Australia Australia, 9 July 1970, aged 71 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Payneham RSL Honour Board, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Jul 1918: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 62381, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 20 embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: 31 Aug 1918 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 1918: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 62381, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 30 Jul 1918: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide South Australia Australia | |
| 31 Aug 1918: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Barambah A37 | |
| 7 Dec 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Surname: BATH; Given Names: Lewis James; Date of Birth: 18 March 1899; Date of Enlistment: 30 July 1918; Trade or Calling: Engine Cleaner; Birth Location: Adelaide; Address prior to enlistment: 288 Hindley St Adelaide; Photograph sent by: Mrs L A Bath
Source: State Records SA
Service record
Lewis Bath was born on the 18th March 1899 to William Albert Bath and Mrs L.A. Bath of 288 Hindley Street Adelaide. He gained employment with the South Australian Railways (SAR), his occupation on enlistment shown as 'engine cleaner'.
Lewis was one of the thousands of employees of the South Australian Railways who enlisted in WW1 and his name is recorded on the large Honour Boards in the concourse of the Adelaide Railway Station. He was also right on the margins of being enlisted for overseas service because of his age. In fact he was on one of the last ships to leave for Europe as reinforcements for the AIF.
He arrived in hte UK after the Armistice had been declared, on the 14th November 1918, but was assigned to the 27th Battalion. Technically, although hostilities had ceased with the Armistice, the war was not officially over until the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919. So he saw no action and was thus deemed ineligible to receive the Victory Medal.
Because of the ‘first there, first home’ repatriation policy, he was to remain in France and the UK for nearly 12 months which must have been enormously frustrating. Many hundreds of AIF soldiers in this situation were among those who transferred to the British Expeditionary Force that was sent to North Russia fighting on the side of the Tsarist “White Russian” forces in late 1918 early 1919.
However Lewis Bath spent most of his time rostered on guard and other duties at the various barracks to which he was assigned. He managed to get into some minor strife for various misdemeanours; most seriously a Court Martial in September 1919 for leaving his post as a sentry. In wartime that is a very serious infringement but it was dealt with relatively moderately according to his record of service, with 9 days forfeiture of pay and confinement to barracks.
He was repatriated to Australia on board the SS Pakhea on the 6th November 1919.
He was awarded a British War medal No 23968
RSL Records
The only records that we have discovered regarding his post war life are RSL membership details. He joined the RSL on 22 November 1919 and remained a member of payneham Sub Branch until February 1970. Badge Number 22223. RSL records indicate he passed away on 9 /7 /70 aged 71 survived by Wife Dorrie, children Joy and Donald. At the time they lived at 29 Harcourt Rd Payneham 5070. He was interred at the Enfield Evergreen Memorial Park.
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