LUCAS, William Francis
| Service Numbers: | 1873, QX15380 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 38th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Albert Park, Victoria, Australia, 1 October 1893 |
| Home Town: | Albert Park, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Telegraphist |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 20 August 1948, aged 54 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 7 |
| Memorials: | South Melbourne Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1873, 38th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 1873, 38th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 1873, 38th Infantry Battalion, RMS Orontes, Melbourne | |
| 24 Jan 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Warrant Officer Class 1, 1873, 38th Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| 9 Mar 1941: | Involvement QX15380 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, QX15380 | |
| 9 Mar 1941: | Enlisted | |
| 31 Mar 1941: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, QX15380 | |
| 31 Mar 1941: | Discharged |
Help us honour William Francis Lucas's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
William Francis Lucas, an Australian veteran of both World Wars, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 15 April 2023, along with a further 246 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
WWI:
1873, Warrant Officer Class 1, 38th Battalion
WWII:
QX15380, Private, 3rd Reserve Motor Company
William Francis Lucas was born in 1893 at Albert Park, Victoria to Timothy Lucas and Mary Lucas (nee Carmody).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Broadmeadows Victoria on 3 July 1916, stating his occupation as telegraphist and nominating his father as next of kin. On 16 August 1916, he embarked for overseas service aboard RMS Orontes from Melbourne, Victoria.
He proceeded to England, where he was hospitalised during 1917, before being sent to France to serve with the 38th Battalion on the Western Front. In August 1918 he was wounded in action and evacuated to England. He returned to Australia in November 1919 aboard the troopship Benalla, and was discharged from the AIF in January 1920.
More than twenty years later, Lucas again volunteered for service during the Second World War. He enlisted in the Australian Military Forces for home service at Cairns, Queensland, on 11 March 1941. By this time in his mid-forties, his service was brief, and he was discharged the same month as medically unfit for further duty.
William Francis Lucas died on 20 August 1948, aged 55, and was buried in Anzac Portion 7, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. He was unmarried with no known children.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget
Click images to start slideshow.