SMITH, Roy Sinlcair
| Service Number: | 601 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 October 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Brigade Signal Troop |
| Born: | Spotswood, Victoria, Australia, 3 May 1898 |
| Home Town: | Randwick, Randwick, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Student of Mining Engineering |
| Died: | Epping, News South Wales, Australia, 22 May 1960, aged 62 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 601, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Signal Troop | |
|---|---|---|
| Date unknown: | Involvement Sapper, 601, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Signal Troop, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: '' embarkation_ship: '' embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| Date unknown: | Embarked Sapper, 601, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Signal Troop |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Alfred Morris SMITH of 'Spotswood' Hodgson Street, Randwick, NSW
Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Roy Sinclair Smith was a World War One sergeant, aiding in communication for Australia during the war. He was born on the 3rd of May, 1898, his father was A. M. Smith of “Spotswood,” and his mother was Annie Curtis.[1]
Before enlisting, Roy Sinclair was an excellent student at Sydney Technical High School. He was awarded a Junior Technical Scholarship in the final examinations of 1911.[3] He studied Chemistry and Metallurgy in 1912, and Geology and Ore Dressing in 1913.[4] His occupation at the time of enlistment was listed as “Student of Mining Engineering.”[5]
On 8 October 1914, Sinclair enlisted as a sergeant at the age of 16 years, however on the enlistment form, he wrote his age as 18 years and 5 months.[6] He joined the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Signal Troop, providing communication support to the brigade by signalling flags, lamps, and other methods. Communication support helped with devising and executing strategies during the war. He embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board the HMAT A51 Chilka on the 1st of February 1915 and landed at Anzac Cove on the 12th of May. On 7 August, he assisted in defensive operations and was involved in the Sari Bair battles, including the Nek attack. On 12 August, he contracted influenza and was admitted to No. 14 General Hospital, on the 16th August before being discharged 18 October 1915.
As part of the Signal Troop, Sinclair participated in many battles. His role was to maintain essential transmissions through telegraph, dispatch riders, and field telephones. Sinclair aided in the Battle of Romani (4 August 1916), and the Battles of Maghaba and Rafah (December 1916–January 1917). Sinclair was promoted to Corporal in April 1916, then Sergeant in September. He was hospitalised with Tonsilitis 8th December and returned to duty on the 11th December.
He also supported Australia’s war transmissions in the First and Second Battles of Gaza (April 1917), the Battle of Beersheba and the Third Battle of Gaza (October–November 1917). Later, he assisted in operations in 1918 such as the capture of Jerusalem, fighting in the Jordan Valley, and the advance to Tiberias, where his communication support helped Australia carry out their plan. Sinclair’s final duties were in Tripoli, after which he was demobilised in early 1919. He returned safely to Australia departing 19 February 1919. He was discharged in June 1919.
After returning home, Sinclair married Jeannie Matheson Douglas on 21 February 1925 at Epping Presbyterian Church.[8] The couple had two daughters: the elder born on 30 December 1925, and the younger on 9 November 1943.[9] He later retired due to ill health in April 1956, but his legacy of serving and risking his life for Australia still remains. Roy and Jeannie were together for 35 years until his passing in Epping on 22 May 1960, aged 62.[10]
Endnotes
National Archives of Australia: B2455, SMITH R S.
Australian Commonwealth Military Forces – AIF Project.
Sydney Technical High School, 1911 Final Examination Results.
NSW State Records, NRS 14043 – 7/8829–30, Register of Bursaries and Scholarships Awarded (Sydney Technical College). Junior Technical Scholarship, tenable from 6 July 1910, for 2 years at the Technical Day School.
Australian Commonwealth Military Forces – AIF Project.
National Archives of Australia: B2455, SMITH R S.
Australian War Memorial; National Archives of Australia: B2455, SMITH R S.
NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Register; marriage notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 1925.
Birth notices, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 December 1925; 11 November 1943.
Death notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 May 1960.
Bibliography
Australian Commonwealth Military Forces. AIF Project.
Australian War Memorial. Service and campaign records.
National Archives of Australia. Service Dossier B2455, SMITH R S.
NSW State Records, NRS 14043 – 7/8829–30. Register of Bursaries and Scholarships Awarded (Sydney Technical College).
Sydney Morning Herald. Birth, marriage, and death notices (1925–1960).
Sydney Technical High School. Final Examination Results, 1911.