Robert Joshua DILLON

Badge Number: 52082, Sub Branch: St Morris
52082

DILLON, Robert Joshua

Service Number: 2135
Enlisted: 1 April 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia, 24 November 1898
Home Town: Kensington, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Gardener
Died: Natural causes, South Australia, 10 December 1968, aged 70 years
Cemetery: Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Norwood Primary School Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

1 Apr 1915: Enlisted
23 Jun 1915: Involvement Private, 2135, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: ''
23 Jun 1915: Embarked Private, 2135, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide
Date unknown: Wounded 2135, 10th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Robert Joshua Dillon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

DILLON Robert Joshua

Regimental number 2135

Place of birth Adelaide, South Australia

Religion Methodist

Occupation Gardener

Address 7 Bowen Street, Kensington, South Australia

Marital status Single

Age at embarkation 18 Next of kin Mother, Mrs Bertha Dillon, 7 Bowen Street, Kensington, South Australia

Enlistment date 3 March 1915

Rank on enlistment Private Unit name 10th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement

AWM Embarkation Roll number 23/27/2 Embarkation details Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A30 Borda on 23 June 1915

Rank from Nominal Roll Private

Unit from Nominal Roll 10th Battalion

Fate Returned to Australia 14 December 1918 M

iscellaneous information from Cemetery records Plaque in South Australian Garden of Remembrance 

Date of death 10 December 1968
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Planning Task 1 
Develop questions to provide a focus for your research and consider different perspectives about your inquiry question.  
Some areas of research have been provided for you – along with some research questions. Write down areas of research and additional questions that will assist you in your research. 
Research area 
Research question 
Your soldier’s/serviceperson’s background before departing for war 

 
Age? 

18 and 2 months

 

Height

5 foot and 7 inches

 

Weight

136 lbs

 

Chests measurements

32.35 inches

 

Eye colour

Brown

 

Hair colour

Brown

 

Occupation? 

Gardener

 

Are they a migrant? Where from? 

Australia

 

Married or Single? 

Single

 

Did they have children? How many? How old? 

No children

 

Other activities they participated in? 

Nothing I know of

 

 
Life on the Western Front 
What was his/her reasons for wanting to go to war? 

To protect the country and serve Australia.

 

How did he/she sign up? 

He probably went into one of the recruitment centres after seeing posters around the city.

 

Where did he train? What was it like? 

Mena camp near the great pyramids outside Cairo.

 

What was his/her role in the army? 

L/Cpl

 

 

What was his/her title and responsibilities? 

To fight and serve Australia.

 

 

Where was he/she located on the Western Front? 

 

 

What was happening politically at this time? 

Bosnian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie. This event is described as the catalyst for World War I.

 

 

Why was Australia fighting in this battle? 

Teammates with France and England

 

 

What Battalion was he/she enlisted in?  

10th battalion, 6th Reinforcement 

 

 

What battles did he fight in? 

 

 

What weapons did he carry? 

Lee-Enfield wooden riffle with a long sword bayonet.

 

 

What services did he/she become involved in? 

 

 

Were there any major injuries or wounds suffered? 

 

 

Any interesting or terrifying stories your soldier was involved in? 

 

 

Did your soldier win any medals? Describe  

Yes (1914/15-star, British war medal, victory medal )

 

 

Was your soldier killed at battle? How? 

No

 

What happened with his/her body? 

 

 

What other questions will you add here?? 

 
How your soldier’s/serviceperson’s service reflected the ANZAC Spirit  
What does ANZAC stand for? 

List some qualities of what it means to be ANZAC 

What does the ANZAC Spirit mean? 

What are some examples of what it means to reflect the ANZAC spirit? 

What instances occurred to your soldier in which the ANZAC spirit was reflected? (give examples) 

Discussion of how he/she showed true spirit  

What other questions will you add here?? 
 
 
 
Folio and bibliography
a.     Describe his/her background before departing for the war (you may need additional research for this)
His life before the war was probably going to school and working a job after or on the weekends.
 
 
 
 
 
b.     Describe his/her life and service on the Western front. 
 
 
 
 
c.     Describe how his/her service reflected the ANZAC spirit.
 
 
 
 
d. Use a range of sources which may include photos, maps, artefacts, diary entries and archival materials 

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