MORRIS, Keith Ayton
| Service Number: | 27 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | Border Regiment |
| Born: | Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, 16 November 1891 |
| Home Town: | Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Commercial Traveller |
| Died: | Natural causes, Wollstonecroft, New South Wales, Australia, 25 July 1966, aged 74 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Mosman "With the Colors" Pictorial Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Trumpeter, 27, 1st Field Artillery Brigade | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement 27, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Argyllshire embarkation_ship_number: A8 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked 27, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, HMAT Argyllshire, Sydney | |
| 18 Apr 1915: | Discharged AIF WW1, Gunner, 27, 1st Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 19 Apr 1915: | Transferred Unspecified British Units, Commissioned Officer | |
| 18 Sep 1916: | Wounded British Forces (All Conflicts), Border Regiment | |
| 14 Nov 1916: | Honoured Military Cross, For conspicuous gallantry in action near Thiepval on 17/18 September 1916. He commanded his company under intence fire and ability. Later, he organised and carried out a successful attack. He was wounded. | |
| 15 May 1918: | Discharged British Forces (All Conflicts), Border Regiment |
Help us honour Keith Ayton Morris's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
He trasferred to the British Army and was appointed to a temporary commission as 2/Lt in the 6th Battalion Border Regiment effective 16/4/1915. He was awarded the Military Cross.
SMH Saturday 16 December 1916
Awarded Military Cross
Captain Keith A Morris of Mosman, has written from hospital in London to his friends stating that he has been awarded the Military Cross. Captain Morris is recovering from serious wounds received in September last.
The following article appeared in The Globe and Sunday Times War Pictorial, Saturday 16 September 1916, p22.
Father and Three Sons in Khaki
The Morris Family
Two of his sons had already enlisted, and another who had just turned 17 wanted to follow suit so Mr Fredk Morris of Allison-road Randwick gave his permission and went along to the barracks to see him through.
The boy passed easily, but he was only a youngster and Dad said: "Hang it, I'll enlist too and look after him." Inside another half hour he had passed the doctor, and now there are four of the family serving their country in the military forces.
The first two to go away were Kenneth Leslie Morris and Keith Ayton Morris, who left with the first detachment of troops at about Christmas time of 1915. Keith had always had a love for military work. In fact, as a boy of eight years he had been a bugler in Parramatta squadron of the New South Wales Lancers, in which his father was a sergeant, and ever since then until the outbreak of the war he and his father had trained with the squadron. Keith went away with the artillery, and Kenneth with the 3rd Battalion, both as privates. In Egypt, however, they both won promotion and Keith afterwards became an artillery Trumpet-Major, while Kenneth was made a Quarter-Master-Sergeant. both took part in the landing and Kenneth was at Lone Pine when his action went into action 1050 [this figure is difficult to read] strong and came out with about a tenth of that number. As a matter of fact, when they finally left Egypt for France a few months ago there were only 50 of the original draft left.
When Keith came back to Egypt from Gallipoli he was offered a chance of transferring to the 6th Border Regiment and gettin a co mission and his commanding officer recommended him to take it. He did so and is now a captain in France.
Now their father and their youngest brother, Baden "Powell Morris, have enlisted and they are hoping to get across to France in time to give the others a hand. Like the other two, they are going away as privates, but Private Morris Senior, knows his drill like his ABC, and he will probably find promotion and easy path. He is going into officer school. Mr Morris' father fought in the Maori Wars in New Zealand.
This article is accompanied by photos of Baden Powell Morris, the father Frederick Morris, Keith Ayton Morris and Kenneth Leslie Morris.
Click images to start slideshow.